The Catch 22 Killer
by wolvesjr34
Summary: Dark. There's a psychopathic killer on the loose, targeting cops and those they are close to; forcing the cop to choose between two people they care about. What happens when Jane and Maura are in the sights of this killer? Rizzoli and Isles belongs to Tess Gerritson and TNT, I'm just taking them for a spin.
1. Chapter 1

It was the middle of what Jane would likely describe as the worst month of her life. There was a new twisted serial killer in town that was targeting police officers and naturally this didn't sit well with the Boston Police Department, or Detective Jane Rizzoli one little bit. The worst part of it was the psychological way the police officers were broken down by the killer. He never deigned to lift a finger against these respected officers; no instead he pulled them into a situation so dastardly it destroyed their psyche.

Three respected and highly decorated police officers had all chosen to end their own lives. None of them able to live with the choice they were forced into making. Six other victims had been found at three scenes, all reported by the officers involved. At each individual scene two bodies were found and there was no rhyme or reason beyond creating the most psychologically terrifying either/or situation; at least that is what the Homicide Division had determined from the interviews with the now deceased officers.

According to the deranged maniac pulling the strings, each officer had chosen incorrectly and the punishment for that was the death of both hostages. This coupled with having to choose in the first place had led to their ultimate demise. There was no clear indicator of whether a correct decision could have been made; in fact the profilers from the FBI had indicated that they believed it to be nothing more than a ruse for psychological torture and that no matter the decision, both kidnap victims presented to the officer would have been killed. The FBI dubbed him the Catch 22 killer.

"He let them go Maura. He let them go knowing he had done enough to kill them from afar. This is just shit." Jane growled angrily as she paced the living room of her best friend's Beacon Hill home.

"I know. Jane, sit down please, you're making me dizzy." Doctor Maura Isles hadn't taken her eyes off the restless detective from the moment they had left the precinct together. She knew this case was impacting the detective hard and had concerns it would cause the Italian to fall back into dark memories of her own.

With a heavy sigh to indicate her displeasure, Jane acquiesced and slumped down onto the couch next to her friend. She couldn't quite contain her restless energy though, her right knee bounced up and down repetitively while she chewed on her thumb nail. The dark look in her eyes was enough to prevent Maura from trying to educate against the behaviour.

"What's really bothering you?" Maura probed softly, reaching out a hand to rest on Jane's left knee. The fact was she needed to feel her detective beneath her hands; this case was giving her nightmares.

"Do you think the profilers are right when they say neither choice would be deemed correct?" She was hiding behind the analysis of the case, not yet comfortable voicing the depths of her vulnerability.

She wasn't like Maura, she was more than capable of entertaining the what ifs, and the what ifs put her firmly in the decision making seat. What if she had to choose between two people she loved? What if she had to choose between Maura and Frankie? What if she had to choose between Frankie and her Ma? If she had her way she would be putting a protective detail on every member of her family. After all she knew exactly what it was like to be targeted by a serial killer all too well.

"I'm not privy to all the details Jane; I cannot begin to hypothesize." She cringed under the sharp look she received, "Although I suspect if there _is_ a correct choice to be made and a life can be saved, then I would hypothesize that the killer wants the decision to be just and not driven by emotion."

"Not driven by emotion?" Jane's voice hit a surprising nasal high during her scoff. "Officer Wilson was forced to choose between his wife and his mother. Gutierrez between her brother and the teenager she mentored and Masten had to choose between his husband and his best friend. Could they have all really made an unjust decision? What is just in those circumstances? God this guy is a sick fuck."

Maura tilted her head in thought, searching through what information she had been privy to, some of which in all honesty was beyond her purview. Then again she had always worked particularly close with homicide given her incredible knack for helping them crack cases not just with science but her seemingly never ending knowledge.

It was calm collected Doctor Maura Isles, Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in that moment. The topic was too dark and horrendous for just Maura to contemplate and as such she put on her clinical hat and attempted to explain her hypothesis. "Wilson chose his wife, Gutierrez her brother and Masten chose his husband. They were all emotionally driven decisions Jane. The choices these officers had to make were unthinkable, but in the end they still made the logical human decision, erred on the side of love. Perhaps the correct answer if there would be one, to save a life, is to choose the person you could least live without as the one to die."

With a shake of her head Jane muttered, "I think I'd just shoot myself. Fuck choosing. I know what this guy is like, why bother hoping to save one life, when the loss of either life would be devastating? The FBI is probably right. There's no right answer. Just gotta hope we can catch him before he pulls this shit again."

Tension built between them as both their thoughts fell on the one unequivocal fact; tomorrow another police officer was going to be dragged into this situation. The killer worked like clock work; once a week a cop would have to choose and once a week two people would be dead by the end of that night and a good cop would be swallowed whole by their decision. The silence was stifling for the women as the fear inched between them and wrapped it's tentacles around both of their hearts.

Finally in a voice barely above a whisper Jane said, "I'd choose you Maur, every time. I would pick you to be the one I saved."

Both women knew what that meant but neither addressed it.

* * *

 **A/N: Should be just one more chapter to this one. I wonder what happens next? Thanks for reading. Do let me know your thoughts.**


	2. Chapter 2

The heaviness of the unintentional revelation had attached itself to Jane's heart and as a result she had made a quick escape. She chose instead to have a restless night in her own bed, rather than to seek the comfort she needed sleeping along side her best friend.

They were more than best friends, they had always been more, even if they hadn't taken it to a physically intimate level; this was a fact that Jane had lived comfortably with for a long time, until now. Now the thought tightened her chest like a vice grip because she knew eventually something would have to give and she would have to choose and as she had voiced the night before she would always choose Maura. This scared the crap out of her; the realisation that without her permission and in spite of every single barrier she had erected around her heart, it had been given irrevocably to the quirky medical examiner.

In hindsight, Detective Rizzoli should not have left the Beacon Hill home of Doctor Isles. The shrill ringing of her phone a little after 7:30 am provided her with that sharp intense realisation.

"Please stop and get coffee on the way in to work 'kay?" Jane mumbled as she continued brushing her teeth, without as much as a hello. After all, the caller ID had indicated it was Maura calling.

"Hello Detective Rizzoli, are you ready to play a game?"

An instant chill shot through her spine and she slowly pulled the brush from her mouth and stared back at her panic stricken face in the mirror. Eventually she came back to her senses, "Not particularly but I get a feeling I won't have a choice in the matter."

"Very good Detective. If you want to see Maura Isles alive again you will proceed directly to the address I will text you momentarily. You are not to tell any of your colleagues of your selection to play this game; if you do she will die in the most painful way possible. Do you understand me Detective?"

Jane closed her eyes as hot stinging tears slid down her cheek. She should have stayed last night. She should have stayed. Sucking in a deep breath she opened her eyes again and stared at the reflection of badass detective Jane Rizzoli and today, today she was going to play a sick twisted game and God willing she was going to win. "I understand."

"Excellent. Leave your phone behind once you have memorised the address. We don't want any interruptions now, do we? Because that would be cheating and I don't play nice with cheaters." The voice on the end of the line was cool and collected; he was in control. "See you soon, Detective."

When the line clicked dead Jane's fist slammed into her mirror causing it to crack and splinter on impact. She wasn't in control, not on any level. He held all the cards; he held Maura. She sighed heavily and marched back into her bedroom and changed into jeans and a Red Sox hoodie; if she was going to die today, and she had no doubt that one way or another she would, she wanted to be comfortable. She pulled on her sneakers, wrote down the address she received via text from Maura's phone and walked out with nothing but her gun, badge and keys.

* * *

When Maura came to she quickly discovered she was tied to a chair with a large plastic collar strapped around her neck; she wasn't gagged so she could speak freely, which set off alarm bells in her mind. Perhaps the FBI profilers were correct, but then she surmised perhaps part of the psychological torture was enabling the abductees to speak with their potential saviour. It never occurred to her that she had simply assumed that she had been abducted by the Catch 22 Killer; given the things she had experienced working alongside Jane, she had no doubt their combined worst nightmares were coming true.

She exhaled slowly as she considered the situation and determined only one satisfactory conclusion; her life was forfeit. It was only satisfactory in the sense that she held on to the belief that no matter who the other person was, it was the right decision; after all Jane had said she would always choose her to save. So logically, based on the hypothesis she had come to regarding the motivations of this evil man, she must die so that Jane and someone else may live. She repeated like a mantra in her head that Jane would survive this, it was the only way she could remain calm.

"H-h-hello?" A young voice stuttered in confusion as the owner stared bleary eyed at her surroundings.

Maura's brow furrowed in surprise as she looked around the dimly lit warehouse space; she could see a teenage girl with curly brown hair tied to a chair approximately twenty feet away. Curiously she didn't recognise the girl at all, and she found this to be an oddity. She expected to be paired off against someone like Frankie or Angela; but this child didn't look like a Rizzoli and certainly wasn't one as far as she was aware. It didn't make sense to use a distant cousin so unless Jane was mentoring this girl, which, quite frankly Maura believed she would know about, the game had changed.

"Hello sweetie," Maura spoke with a steady but friendly voice, not wanting to risk upsetting the girl further. "My name is Maura. What's your name honey?" She was throwing around terms of endearment like her name was Angela Rizzoli, but it was the warmest example she could think of under duress to try and keep the girl calm.

"It's Tiffany," she started pulling at her bindings, her eyes growing wide with panic. "What's goin' on?"

That was the million dollar question. Maura too wondered what was going on. "How old are you Tiffany?" She wanted to obtain as much information as possible before Jane's eventual arrival, to ensure the correct decision was made.

"I-I'm fourteen. Where are we?"

"I don't know honey, but my friend Jane will be here soon. She's a detective and she will get you home safely." It wasn't a lie, because Maura was sure that picking the child would win Jane and Tiffany their freedom.

The problem would be in convincing Jane to pick someone she did not know. It might be her instinct to protect innocents, but Maura feared that this psychopath had tapped into the perfect conundrum that would drive Jane to the brink. It was a child though; surely Jane would make the decision to save a child? Maura shuddered at the thought of emotional trauma this decision was going to wreak on her best friend.

Maura knew that Jane was in love with her, just as she too loved Jane. So the guilt that Jane would feel for even contemplating saving her instead of the teen before eventually making the just call could be the biggest obstacle. She needed to ensure Jane made the decision quickly to prevent the psychological stress from causing a break down in logic. She feared if Jane took too long to make the decision, it would cost them all their lives. She feared that being the one to effectively end her life would be Jane's undoing.

Maura swallowed thickly, she suddenly felt a lot less sure of herself. Jane would protect the girl; she had to. Maura closed her eyes and focused on her breathing; she would tell Jane she loves her and that it will be okay. Just do the right thing. Make your decision logically; leave emotion out of it.

 _Don't tell her you love her; it will overwhelm her. Just trust and accept that she knows how you feel. Hold your head high and remind her of the logic; remind her that saving a life matters._

The sound of approaching footsteps caused her to look up directly ahead of her position. Where she noticed for the first time a small desk with a computer on it – she supposed this was the killer's way of communicating from a safe distance. Behind the desk she saw Jane looking completely mortified as she assessed the situation. Maura afforded herself another look at the teenage girl and noticed she had a solid plastic collar on as well and then it dawned on her that they must be wearing explosive collars – undoubtedly with remote detonation capabilities.

"Maura?" Jane had never sounded as frail as she did in that moment. She was a woman who had already worked herself into a state of disarray and walking in to find Maura and some strange kid caused her heart to sink further.

She already knew the decision she had to make; she just wasn't sure she could. She wasn't sure she could be the one to make the decision that meant the light went out in Maura's eyes. How do you tell someone you love; someone that you would give your life for that you don't choose them? She closed her eyes and balled her hands into tight fists; there had to be a way out of this.

"So what the hell are you waiting for huh?" Jane suddenly screamed angrily, it bounced back around them as it reverberated around the warehouse. "Let's get the party started!"

* * *

 **A/N: Soooo Miss Peg and probably a few others know me well... what once was meant to be two, is now three (what can I say, I decided I had enough to share more with ya'll and I just wanted to play nice with the other kids in the sandbox and share).**

 **Thank you to all my readers and reviewers.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Glad to see you made it here alone, Detective." The tinny speakers of the laptop computer crackled into life. "Please, take a seat while I go over the rules of the game with you."

A low rumbling growl found its way past Jane's lips as she roughly grabbed the wooden chair tucked in under the desk and pulled it out so she could sit down. She glanced at the screen of the laptop and saw footage of the warehouse live streaming. The screen split into four, one image of Maura, one of the child, one of Jane from up high looking down on the situation, and the other was no doubt from the camera built into the laptop as it clearly depicted the agony on her face.

"As you can see Detective I know exactly what is going on; please note that I have attached explosive devices to your beloved Doctor Isles and to Tiffany, a fourteen year old girl with two parents that will be worried sick. If you attempt to tamper with the devices they will explode. You are free to approach Doctor Isles and Tiffany, just do not touch. Do you understand Detective?"

Jane reluctantly nodded her head and growled, "Yeah."

"The game is quite simple Detective. You must choose one person to save. Once you have chosen you can walk out of here with the person you choose."

"Yeah right," Jane scoffed viciously, "I'm a homicide detective you sick fuck; I know this is all bullshit. It doesn't matter who I pick, they'll both end up dead and I will end up eating my gun unable to live with it. So let's cut to the chase shall we?" Jane pulled her side arm from its holster and released the safety. "I choose me."

"Do you really think you deserve to wear that badge, Detective? You could end your own life, but then what is to guarantee the safety of the hostages? If I wanted you dead Detective, I would have slit your throat in your sleep." The voice broadcasting through the speakers had grown harsh. "If you need to take your time, take your time; but you will choose Doctor Isles or Tiffany. One of them must die."

Jane exhaled and dropped her head, hot tears bit at her cheeks as she fought with her emotions. She would survive this entire situation if she chose to, no matter what happened she would live if she chose to; but a life where she had condemned her best friend; her love to death? Or even on the flipside, where she condemned a teenage girl to death? How was she supposed to go on after this day was over? Never mind the likelihood that both Maura and Tiffany would end up dead. Her chest heaved with deep soul wrenching sobs.

Maura had never understood what a soul wrenching ache was before that moment she heard Jane start to sob. Her entire torso was gripped with what could only be described as emotional pain manifesting physically. She wanted nothing more than to tell Jane it would be okay, that she loved her and that she was strong, she was Jane Rizzoli and she could handle anything. But deep down she knew that wouldn't help Jane in this situation so she did the only thing she could; she compartmentalised away the hurt and pulled up the Doctor Maura Isles, Chief Medical Examiner facade.

"Detective Rizzoli pull yourself together," she coaxed loudly and firmly. "There is only one decision to make here and you know it."

Jane's head snapped up at the calm voice of her best friend; she wiped away the tears on her face with her sleeves and pushed away from her sitting position. Jane walked over to Maura and knelt down in front of her so that she was closer to eye level. "Maura, I can't…"

"Please address me by my title Detective. I am Doctor Isles, the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and you will afford me with that respect." She deliberately left out her first name because she knew that the more Maura was around, the more Jane was around and Jane needed to be Detective Rizzoli to survive this. Jane wouldn't be able to separate from her emotions; Detective Rizzoli could.

Jane nodded slowly and closed her eyes for several moments, when she opened them they were clinical and hard. She rose to her feet and returned to the computer. "Alright you creep; I'll walk out of here with the girl. Doctor Isles is yours to do with as you wish." While she had detached herself from the decision like Maura had wanted, saying those words broke something within Jane that she knew could never be repaired. She had condemned Maura to death.

The speakers crackled to life again, "An honourable decision Detective; I would dare say you may actually deserve the title of Boston's finest but there is one more thing you must do before you can leave with the girl."

Jane couldn't help the roll of her eyes that came along after she heard that. She should have known this wouldn't be so damn easy (not that anything about it was easy). "What?" She growled impatiently.

"You must press the ALT and F1 key together on the keyboard. That action will release the collar from Tiffany's neck," the killer paused and Jane could just envision the disgusting grin on his face, "and set off the explosive collar of Doctor Isles."

 _Oh no._

Maura upon hearing those words knew that this wasn't as foregone a conclusion as she had hoped for Jane's sake. It was one horrendously awful thing to have to condemn your best friend to death, but to actually physically be responsible for it? She couldn't see Jane's face as it was hidden behind the computer, but she felt the agony in her chest.

This was how the game had changed for the worse. The killer must have been studying Jane for a long time to know that this action would bring her undone. The previous officers had not had to commit the act themselves; no this was specifically designed to destroy Jane's soul and in the process it was ripping Maura's to shreds too. The worst part for Maura was she didn't know what to do; there was no part of Maura or Doctor Isles personas that could convince Jane to press that button combination and she knew it.

"No," Jane growled bitterly, "I won't do it. You told me to choose, I chose, now let the kid go!"

"Now, now Detective," the tinny speakers were grating on both Jane and Maura's nerves by this stage, "You need to prove that you have the courage and fortitude to follow through with your decision making. It is nothing more than a hollow gesture if you cannot press two simple buttons to save the life of a child."

The fight in Jane was gone now; all she had left was an endless ache and a truth to be shared. "You're asking me to kill my best friend. What the hell is honourable about that? I would rather shoot myself than ever hurt her."

"I know that Detective, you've already done it once before. That is why this is the truest test of your standing as a police officer. Can you truly stand up and save the innocent regardless the circumstances?" The killer clearly had a handle on her past, something that was noted by both women.

"For Pete's sake she is the Chief Medical Examiner for the state, her work makes a difference. Don't you care about that?" Jane's gut was telling her that there was more to this killer than just a psychotic need to kill in the most tortuous way possible. "She's the most caring conscientious person I know and you want me to kill her?"

"I want you to save the child, Detective, like you said you would." There was a slight trace of melancholy in his voice that struck a chord with the medical examiner.

Maura glanced over at the girl who was sobbing relentlessly, the conversation clearly getting to her. She was the innocent in all this, she was only fourteen; what did she know about serial killers? Whether Jane liked it or not, and regardless the good she had done with her life she was well and truly aware of the darkness in the world, her innocence was lost a long time ago.

"Jane, come here please." She called out calmly, wanting to try and talk Jane into going through with the action without scarring the child any further. She didn't need to be privy to the debate that she knew was about to take place.

Jane glanced up at Maura and back at the computer, before hoarsely whispering, "Please, can I at least touch her? Can you let me say goodbye properly?" She hoped he could hear her voice at that low volume because she didn't want Maura to overhear. She honestly didn't know if she could do what had been asked of her, but she knew that if she was going to she wanted Maura to know the warmth of her hands one more time.

A vague sense of compassion reverberated out of the speakers with a simple, "Yes, you may."

Jane stood then, picked up her chair and carried it over to where Maura was tied up. She put it down and sat, their knees touching as she looked across at the calm features of her best friend. She could see the fear and pain swirling in the hazel eyes, the mask wasn't complete but she understood why Maura was trying to remain strong. "You're the strong one," she finally whispered, "If our roles were reversed, you'd have already hit those buttons by now."

It was taking all the reserves Maura had not to break down in tears, knowing that they had nowhere to go but down her cheeks in plain view of the heartbroken detective in front of her. "Is that what you think? That I could so easily take your life?" There was no hurt or accusation just genuine curiosity.

Jane grimaced, "There's nothing easy about it and no it wouldn't be easy for you, I dare suspect it would be harder for you Maura; but you would do it, because it needed to be done to save a life."

"As will you, Jane." She offered a sad smile, "You never give yourself enough credit. You are the strongest person I know."

"Not strong enough to do this without you Maur; you're my strength. When I think I can't go on I just look at you and I know I can get through the day. I've just been siphoning my strength from you."

She glanced down at her scarred palms before looking up and reaching one palm out to cup Maura's cheek, where she wiped away the lone tear that had escaped with her thumb. "I wouldn't have become the person I am today after Hoyt, if it weren't for you. There were so many nights I wanted to give up but somehow just the thought of you got me through."

Maura leaned into the hand and closed her eyes, the pressure forcing more tears to escape. "Just promise me one thing Jane."

"Anything," she breathed.

"Live, for me. Honour my memory Jane, by living. Now please, before I break down into a complete blubbering mess. Save the girl." She opened her eyes and looked directly into churning blackness, "Jane Rizzoli is strong enough to handle anything."

Jane leaned forward and planted a tender kiss on Maura's cheek and whispered into her ear, "I love you Maur." Reluctantly she pulled back and marched over to the computer.

She knew she had to do it then, or the courage and strength she had once again siphoned from Maura would be gone. Jane placed her fingers on the appropriate keys, closed her eyes and hit the combination as she had been directed. Her heart constricted in her chest as she waited for the inevitable.

* * *

 **A/N: So I shouldn't bother putting a chapter limit on anything anymore, this one has a damn life of its own, again. Yes I maybe slightly evil leaving you with that cliffhanger... but it means I am going to delve into more than I intended, so, fair trade off? Now did anyone get teary? Cause I am the author, I know whats going to happen, and writing this... I was so crying jus. I just wonder if I am the only sap around here or not?**

 **As usual I thank you all for your support. And arkhamknight83 I would not recommend living inside my head, but glad I am entertaining you.**


	4. Chapter 4

A bitter wind whipped at Detective Sergeant Vince Korsak and Detective Frankie Rizzoli as they stepped out of their unmarked cruiser at the warehouse location in South Boston they had received anonymously with an ominous note: _The decision has been made; you will find Detective Jane Rizzoli at this address._

Several yards ahead just outside the entrance to the old warehouse Jane was on the ground with her back to the building and knees pulled in against her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around them as she rocked back and forth. The normally stoic detective was clearly distraught. She looked right through Frankie when he knelt down beside her and started gently questioning her.

Frankie looked worriedly up at Korsak; he was afraid of what would be found in the warehouse if his sister had been forced to make a decision and was in this near catatonic state. Mentally he raced through the lists of possible targets, thankful that he had been on the phone with their mother five minutes before the note was received. A chill crept up his spine as he realised who he hadn't seen that morning. "Did you see Maura this morning Korsak?"

The senior detective blanched at the question; he hadn't seen Maura and judging by the state of the eldest Rizzoli sibling it wasn't looking good for the doctor. He swallowed thickly, someone had to check out the warehouse and yet he just couldn't bring himself to step closer to the entrance. "God I hope it's not the doc." _Janie won't survive that_ the unspoken words.

Frankie placed a hand on each of his sister's shoulders and tried shaking her gently. "Janie, Janie what happened?"

Jane's dark eyes focused on his similar orbs and she blinked several times as she tried to process what had happened leading up to that moment. Suddenly she pushed violently at Frankie and growled, "Get away from me. I don't deserve your comfort."

 _I pressed the buttons. I condemned Maura to death. God help me._

She met Frankie's concerned gaze as he clambered back to his feet to stand in front of his sister. "I k-k-killed her. H-he m-made me choose. It was," she swallowed hard, unable to stomach saying her best friend's name after what she had done. "There's a girl… S-she told me to s-s-save the girl."

Korsak had to turn away and walk towards the cruiser because what Jane was saying was too much for him to handle. He knew by 'she' that Jane meant Maura and it sounded just like her to make Jane choose the girl instead. He wasn't sure he wanted to know if this scene had played out like the other three with both parties ending up dead regardless of the decision. He was dead set worried for the sanity of his former partner. She had survived Hoyt but he wasn't so sure she would survive this prick.

Frankie meanwhile had swallowed down some bile that had forced its way into his mouth at the thought. He focused on the facts and sought the clarification he didn't really need. "Who Janie, who told you to save the girl?"

Jane searched frantically for anywhere the earth had opened up so she could dive in and it swallow her whole. Her entire being ached, every single nerve ending was firing painfully and tears streaked her face as her chest constricted. She fixed him with an empty stare and rasped, "Maura."

Frankie's reaction was immediate and violent as he lurched away to lose his breakfast next to a dumpster. There was no keeping it down at the thought of his sister being forced to choose the death of her best friend.

"Oh God," Korsak muttered under his breath at hearing the confirmation that would bring many at the Boston Police Department to their knees. Sure a lot of the officers thought Maura was a little odd at first, a little cold, but years of working with Jane had brought her natural warmth and grace to the forefront and there probably wasn't a more beloved non-cop at headquarters.

Korsak straightened his collar and barked at Frankie to stay with Jane and steeled himself to enter the warehouse. He needed to confirm the scene for himself and was confident that the killer wouldn't be lurking in the shadows; he was too much of a coward for that. It only took a few moments for him to realise that something was very wrong with what was happening outside the warehouse.

His eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting and he had walked up on the desk with the computer and sure enough ten feet away from him sat Maura Isles very much alive. His brow furrowed in confusion as he turned his head to the right to see the girl Jane had mentioned also perfectly fine. He rubbed at his chin and turned his body half towards the entrance, his head swivelling from Maura to the daylight where Jane sat inconsolable.

As if she could read his thoughts Maura cut through them anxiously, "I think Jane went into shock Vince; a sensory shut down of sorts because after she did as instructed she walked away in a daze."

"Yeah, uh, is everything okay doc?" He walked on up to her and noticed the collar, sighing with relief to see it had opened and was simply awaiting removal.

She fixed him with a hard glare; "No, no nothing is okay. The FBI profilers couldn't have been more wrong." She was angry, so incredibly angry and she had no other acceptable target. "And Jane…" her voice trailed off as she couldn't find the words to describe her fear for her best friend. Watching her walk away like she had frightened her more than watching Jane hit the buttons that should have been her end. "She thinks she killed me Vince."

He nodded slowly, he wasn't a head shrink but even he knew this trauma was going to continue to manifest itself, even after Jane could see that Maura was alive and well. He sighed heavily as he went about carefully removing the collar and setting it aside, before undoing the ropes that bound the medical examiner. He then crossed the distance to the teenager and repeated the process, leading the teen out of the warehouse first.

Frankie was sitting next to Jane with his arms wrapped protectively around her when the teen girl stepped into the daylight, followed closely by Korsak who wore a grim look on his face. He felt Jane go rigid in his arms at the sight of the pair. His eyebrows shot up with a silent question and when Korsak turned his head back to the warehouse and tilted for a moment the younger Rizzoli was confused.

The confusion made way for a gigantic smile and an intense sense of relief when he saw Maura step out of the warehouse into the sun. Aside from a few crinkles in her deep blue dress, she looked like she had stepped right off the runway. "Damn Maura, I thought... we thought…" He swallowed thickly as he realised Jane had retreated further into his chest, burying her face with sob filled exclamations that she was losing her mind.

The sounds of uniformed officers and crime scene techs showing up to process the scene filtered in to Maura's ears but her focus was solely on her best friend so clearly traumatised by what had happened. In spite of the fact her dress cost more than both Rizzoli's monthly pay cheques put together she sat down on the rough ground next to Jane and gently pulled her into her arms, with the help of Frankie who gently directed his sister where she really needed to be. "Ssshh Jane, I'm here. I'm alive."

Jane instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around Maura and buried her face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of that mornings shampoo and the distinct smell of her best friend. Her brain was slowly coming around to the truth, but she still felt incredibly lost and unable to process what had happened. Instead all she could focus on was the soul shattering fact that she had made the decision to kill her best friend; her love. "I-I-I killed you…"

"No," Maura was firm, "You did not kill me. I am alive and well Jane. You did what needed to be done. And you know what else?"

Just hearing Maura's voice had a calming affect as she slowly pulled away so she could look into affectionate hazel eyes. "What?

Maura couldn't help but chuckle at how she hoped Jane would react to her next observation. "You can tell the Feds they were wrong; there is a correct answer!"

Jane returned her face to the crook of Maura's neck but afforded a small smile. "Forgive me, please forgive me."

Maura placed several lingering kisses to the top of Jane's head. "There's nothing to forgive my love. Nothing to forgive."

If Jane heard the unusual term of endearment she didn't acknowledge it, instead she whispered her thanks over and over again before Korsak finally helped her to her feet. The real work was still to begin; she would need to give her statement and speak with the department psychologist and hopefully get back on the case, whether Cavanaugh liked it or not. She wasn't a victim she was a survivor and she would fight tooth and nail to stay on the case; although she feared the FBI would take the case completely out of their hands and that pissed her off. Because it had been Maura that had made the biggest breakthrough in the case; she had been the one to make the call and because of that they had a wealth of new knowledge.

There was of course one more very important thing that drove Jane's desire to stay on the case and hunt the Catch 22 Killer; _revenge_. The sick bastard had targeted Maura, and that was an unforgiveable sin in the eyes of Jane Rizzoli. She was on the warpath.

* * *

 **A/N: Theoretically I could stop here... because it was never meant to be some deep involved catch the bad guy case, and just a sort of what would happen in this situation between our leading ladies thing... but I am gonna leave this one open to the readers. I have a direction to take this, I have motivations and background for the killer and I have a very unstable Jane Rizzoli and a potentially blossoming Rizzles... but I cannot promise happy ending on this one, cause I just do not know. So what do you, the masses say... should I continue, or leave it here? Thanks you once more for joining me on this journey and for your thoughts, its inspiring and motivational.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Damnit," Korsak growled angrily as he slammed his palm into the irresponsive vending machine. While the machine may have eaten his dollar and not spat out the chocolate bar he would do better not to eat, his real anger was with the FBI and the way they had chosen to run the investigation.

While the Federal Bureau of Investigation was continuing to operate a joint investigation with the Boston Police Department, their lead agents Blake and Mancini had insisted on being the ones to question Jane and Maura on the morning's events. They had conceded Korsak and Frankie the interview with Tiffany to obtain her statement but had refused cooperation otherwise.

The girl had been abducted during the night from her home and her parents had not been aware until they went to rouse her for school (this he learned from missing persons). Tiffany had not been able to shed any light on her abductor as all she recalled was going to bed and waking up at the warehouse tied up. He suspected she was probably drugged before transportation. She had confirmed what Jane had said at the scene about Maura pushing her to save the kid. In the end Korsak was just relieved he was able to watch the girl reunited with very relieved parents. Not just for their sakes, but for Jane's.

Korsak's attention was drawn from the vending machine when the doors to interview room one opened and Maura emerged from behind Agent Victor Mancini and one of the secondary agents assigned to the taskforce; an agent whose name eluded Korsak for the time being. He stepped away from the vending machine and approached Maura wanting to make sure she was alright. He knew Jane would be pissed if she found out how Maura had been interrogated like she was the enemy and his protective hackles had come up and frustrations risen as he could only watch and not interfere. "Y'okay Doc?"

Maura nodded politely and watched as Mancini disappeared into the viewing room for the second interview room on that floor, while the secondary agent, Rogers, headed back towards the bullpen. Once alone in the hall her professional mask dropped to one of concern for Jane; especially if her interview had also turned into an interrogation.

She had faced down Charles Hoyt without flinching; she most certainly wasn't going to give an obnoxious federal agent the satisfaction of rattling her, even if his questions seemed inappropriate at times. Still she compartmentalised well and it was still easy for her to do so in spite of the morning's circumstances. Jane, while normally almost as effective at compartmentalising, was in no mental state to be bullied by people who were meant to be on the same side. "Take me to Jane."

Korsak couldn't help the smug grin that appeared on his face. Doctor Isles had given her statement, was working on the case and had the full support of himself and Lieutenant Cavanaugh when it came to the well being of Jane Rizzoli. As such when the feds tried to object to Maura's presence in the viewing room, ha, he looked forward to that. Nobody was as scary as a pissed off Maura Isles. He turned on his heel and led her into the same door Agent Mancini had entered moments before.

Mancini had been staring intently through the two way mirror when the door had opened. At first when he saw Korsak he reluctantly accepted his presence, but when he saw Maura he put up his hand and shook his head. "Nuh uh, no way. She cannot be in here for this."

"Should I have the interview stopped until Detective Rizzoli can have a lawyer present? You are after all levelling absurd accusations at her too, are you not?" Maura gave him a glare that sent shivers down his spine.

"She waived her right to counsel," Mancini growled angrily.

"Under false pretences no doubt; this was meant to be an interview for statement gathering purposes, not an interrogation with baseless accusations being hurled around." Maura's eyes skirted sideways through the mirror so that she could assess Jane's body language, and she didn't like what she saw. "She's unreasonably agitated, _Agent_ ," the last word falling from her mouth venomously.

Mancini looked from Maura back to Jane and furrowed his brow in thought; to him the detective looked fine. Sure she was playing with her hands but even her answers sounded calm and collected. He turned back to the woman who was fast becoming an irritation and snarled, "She looks fine to me."

Maura stepped right into Mancini's personal space, with Korsak having stepped back out of the way, knowing better than to have stood between Maura and the target of her ire. He'd have as soon stood between an aggressive Rottweiler and it's dinner than get in Maura's way.

Maura pointed towards Jane and almost growled in warning, "That woman is moments away from becoming useless to you. She only plays with the scars on her palms when she's incredibly anxious and trust me _Agent,_ " there was that venom again, "Today was the most traumatic day of her life and considering how she received those scars, that is saying a great deal."

Agent Mancini wanted to huff and kick the doctor back downstairs but one backward glance at Korsak and he sighed with resignation. "So what do you want me to do?" He asked, exasperation seeping through into his voice.

"Take a break and let me see Detective Rizzoli please. I would prefer in private, but I won't push that. I do however insist on seeing her for the sake of her mental well being." She implored, desperate to get into the room with Jane and calm down her anxieties.

While reluctance exuded from his pores, Mancini ducked through the internal door to the interview room and spoke briefly with agents Blake and Rodriguez, who filed out of the room slightly perturbed. Mancini then led Maura into the room, "I'll just be on the other side of the window," he stated plainly, the _so don't even think about discussing your debrief_ was implied.

Jane had watched the agents file in and out before finally resting her gaze on Maura who pulled one of the seats from the other side of the table and placed it next to the detective before sitting down and taking her left hand into her own. "Since when does the Chief Medical Examiner have enough clout to call off the dogs?" Her smile weak and her tone didn't convey the humour she was aiming for. Frankly she was thankful for the interruption and the stolen moments with the medical examiner.

"You were playing with your hands," Maura stated matter-of-factly as she started to massage the palm in her hands. "Your scars hurting?"

Jane nodded solemnly. Her agitation had been starting to get the better of her and she hated feeling like she had done something wrong because Maura and Tiffany had survived the encounter with the Catch 22 Killer. The implication riled her immensely given what it had cost her to get them out of the situation alive. "Hope they treated you better than the shit I'm copping," she mumbled under breath, aware of listening ears on the other side of the mirror.

Maura smiled weakly, it wouldn't do anybody any favours to confirm Jane's concerns. She put the left hand down and motioned for the right hand, waiting for Jane to shift in her seat to be able to provide better access. "Just answer the questions honestly and succinctly and it will be over soon enough."

But it wouldn't be over, not in Jane's mind. No matter how good it felt to have Maura there with her massaging the pain in her palms away, she knew the doctor was only able to do that because some psychopath had a weird sense of honour or something. She decided she didn't like the word honour, but she hadn't been able to settle on a better word for the oddity of his actions. She supposed she could actually understand the FBI's concern over the circumstances they did seem incongruous, but the truth was the truth and in the end she would have to make them see that so she could do her job and track the bastard down.

"Jane?" Maura had noticed the detective slip away into her thoughts.

"Mmm?" Jane snapped back to reality and looked into the concerned hazel eyes of her best friend.

"Where did you go?"

"Oh, just thinking about today." She pulled her hand away from Maura and sat up straighter, "I just wanna go home Maur, thanks for soothing me," after all that was always the point of the palm massages. "I'll be fine."

Maura frowned but couldn't fault Jane's desire to go home and as such get the interrogation over and done with. "I'll be in my office, when you're ready to go home." It was an unspoken promise that whether it be her house or Jane's apartment, they would be going home together. They had their own debriefing to manage.

Jane shrugged, "'Kay," her protective walls had already gone back up. She watched Maura leave and waited patiently for the FBI to return to finish their questioning. No matter the questions she answered, the medical examiner was never far from her thoughts.

Jane talked the agents through the day's order of events twice more, fighting back the agitation that constantly focusing on the morning caused. She hated the constant reminder that she had condemned Maura to death and the domino effect that had on her thoughts that culminated in the same conclusion every time; being close to Jane put Maura at risk and this didn't sit well with the detective, not at all.

* * *

 **A/N: And the journey continues. I would consider this a developmental chapter... not as exciting as the previous ones hey? Anyways thank you all for your support and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.**


	6. Chapter 6

If Maura hadn't already been concerned about the mental health of her best friend, bells would have gone off in her head when Jane handed over the keys to her unmarked cruiser and told Maura to drive them home. The ride back to Beacon Hill was made in silence, with Maura fighting back the urge to force the sullen detective into conversation. She knew at this stage it was best to let Jane speak up when she was ready; it was too soon to push. Not that it stopped her from worrying about the detective.

It was just after three in the afternoon when Jane marched straight to the fridge for a beer, having followed the medical examiner inside. She popped the top and made a beeline for the couch and comfort; sinking down into the cushions she barely managed a grunt in acknowledgement when Maura indicated she was going to slip upstairs to change.

She was exhausted; the morning's trauma followed by the hours of reliving the event in interview had emotionally drained the Italian detective and she wanted nothing more than to get drunk and pass out. She wouldn't do that however, because she knew that Maura would want to talk about everything that had happened. Jane really didn't want to talk about it though because she didn't want to think about it. After all what could she say? _Sorry I condemned you to death, but hey it worked out in the end!_ No, there was nothing she could say and she really didn't think anything could make it better.

Maura had slipped out of her dress, hanging it up for dry cleaning later, and changed into some yoga pants and a simple pale blue cotton shirt; sometimes comfort truly came first. She made her way into her en-suite bathroom and washed her face thoroughly. Eventually she looked up at her reflection in the mirror and studied her features. She was tired; she hadn't slept much the night before after Jane had left. She recognised an increase in periorbital puffiness and her hazel eyes didn't have their usual twinkle; they were dull and defeated.

As she stood and stared at herself in the mirror the reality of the day finally crashed down on the doctor; she should be dead. A shudder ran down her spine as hot tears forced their way down her face. Maura placed both palms down on the bathroom counter and braced herself as heavy sobs wracked her body. She could have died and she never told Jane she loved her. It didn't matter that she believed Jane knew her feelings; she was an intelligent detective after all. It didn't matter because she shouldn't assume. She had essentially talked Jane into killing her and hadn't voiced the true depths of her feelings for the detective. She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing, which had become laboured because of the intense emotion surging through her body.

Jane started feeling anxious as time ticked by without the reappearance of the medical examiner. It shouldn't have taken that long to get changed; she sat her beer down on a coaster on the coffee table and quietly slipped upstairs to check on her friend. She knocked softly on Maura's bedroom door before entering; a quick glance told her the doctor was not there, so she strode over to the en-suite and stopped in the doorway.

She took a moment to appreciate the woman standing before her in one of her more emotional moments. Even with her eyes screwed shut and tears streaming down her face she was beautiful. That was the problem though, her best friend was a wreck and it was her fault.

The knot that had settled in her stomach that morning only worsened, forcing her into action. Jane closed the distance between them and wrapped the smaller woman up from behind, resting her chin on Maura's shoulder. It didn't matter that it was a more than friendly embrace; she just needed to feel Maura in her arms and sighed with relief when she felt the doctor relax against her body.

"Hey, you're okay," she soothed quietly, "You're okay."

"Jane," Maura breathed, her eyes opening and watching the woman who now held her tightly through the mirror. She had so much she wanted to say; so much she wanted to ask and she didn't know where to begin.

Holding Maura close to her only caused a meltdown in restraint for Jane as she allowed instinct to take control. Her lips pressed softly into the skin at the meeting point between Maura's neck and shoulder and she continued to repeat the tender yet extremely intimate gesture while using the mirror to gauge the doctor's reaction. Content that she hadn't stepped too far across the line she closed her eyes and focused on the sensation of her lips on delicate skin.

All the thoughts that bounced around Maura's mind stopped when she felt the first kiss against her skin. She looked back at the searching eyes in the mirror and softened her gaze so that Jane knew it was okay; so that Jane knew she needed this too. She relished the surprising intimacy from the detective for a solid minute before turning in her arms and looking up into her dark piercing gaze. "Jane," she searched for permission, for confirmation.

Jane thought she might just drown in the pools of hazel staring up at her; the logic and reasoning part of her brain shut down completely as she crushed her lips against those of the medical examiner. The feeling of Maura's lips moving against her own and her soft tongue sliding across lips searching for entrance unleashed a primal urgency in the detective.

"Maura," she growled as she lifted the smaller woman up and felt her legs wrap around her waist; their mouths and tongues crashing together in a delicate dance for dominance. She stepped backwards into the bedroom before spinning them around and carrying Maura over to the bed; never breaking the passion fuelled kiss.

It wasn't until Jane had thrown her down on the bed that Maura's brain kicked into overdrive again. The detective hovered above her clearly predatory; Maura could see the primal drivers and she shuddered. It was too soon, it was the wrong time; they shouldn't be doing this not after the morning they'd had. "Jane," she realised that at some point the use of her vast vocabulary would be essential but she struggled as her body responded all too readily to the touches of the woman above.

Jane sat back on her haunches and pulled her hoodie and the plain shirt she wore underneath off in one movement before moving to straddle Maura. Her eyes bore through the woman beneath her and a small voice buried somewhere in the back of her head begged her to pay attention to the look in the blonde's eyes and to hear the tone of her voice, but she couldn't hear it. All she felt was an intense need to truly feel Maura; she needed it like she needed oxygen and water.

"Jane, please we should slow down." Maura tried to reason with not only the woman whose hands were now reaching beneath the hem of her shirt but her own body, which was making it increasingly difficult for common sense to rule.

Jane stilled her hands, allowing them to rest on firm stomach muscles. The tone to Maura's voice had dragged her back to reality enough to ensure she obtained consent. "Maur, God… I'm sorry. Do you want me to stop?"

It was a good question, which caused debate to rage within the doctor. She didn't want them to stop, but she felt they should, but God did Jane's hands feel good where they lay, waiting for permission to keep moving. "It's been a big day…"

"It has," Jane knew she'd been out of control but she didn't want to stop and she really wasn't opposed to begging, because she really _really_ needed to feel Maura. She didn't understand the sudden intensity of the desire inside her, but she knew she needed to satiate it. So she begged, "Please Maur, I need to feel you. Please…"

Maura sighed because she knew she was going to regret this; every single fibre in her body told her she would regret this. It was going to hurt too, but she knew she would be lying if she didn't acknowledge that she also felt a need to feel Jane. "Okay."

"Okay?" Jane knew enough to double check.

"Yes, now please _detective_ , shut up and kiss me."

* * *

At some point after the encounter had switched from charged and primal to tender and exploratory Maura found herself with Jane's head resting over her heart. She couldn't contain the well of emotion that swelled within her chest and before thinking it through she whispered, "I love you Jane."

It was the truth, something they both knew and understood, but something she had never voiced before. Something she instantly regretted voicing when she felt Jane stiffen against her. Moments later the Italian rolled away and slid off the bed, picking up her clothes as she went. If she hadn't known any better Maura would have surmised someone had taken a knife and stuck it right through the middle of her heart. "Jane?"

"I should clean up and go see Ma before she sends out a search party." Jane tried to keep it light, but she knew that she had just hurt Maura a great deal by rolling away like she had.

Maura sat up in the bed, drawing the comforter around her body, suddenly feeling vulnerable. "Are you really going to leave just like that?"

"God, Maura," Jane growled as she pulled her hoodie on, "Do we have to make a big deal outta what just happened?" But oh it was a big deal, it was a huge deal and she knew it; furthermore she knew she was saying all the wrong things. It wasn't that she was deliberately trying to hurt Maura, but she'd be damned if she was going to dissect how everything made her feel in that moment.

Maura's eyes narrowed and even though she knew better she said, "We made love Jane. That _is_ a big deal."

"God woman, it was just a quick fuck." Jane roared defensively as she slipped into her jeans, desperate to make an escape before she started crying in front of the medical examiner. It had been more than a quick fuck and she knew it, they both knew it, but she also knew her need to run from the situation was creating a chasm between them.

It just wasn't safe for Maura to be with her and she knew that Maura would want that; she would want more and God she wished she had been able to listen when Maura warned her that this was not a good idea. She eyed Maura for a moment but she didn't say anything more, just turned her back and buried herself in her bed.

 _Fuck._

Jane held it together until she was in her cruiser and then the tears poured out of her fast and steady. She buried her face in her arms on the steering wheel and sobbed profusely as the true weight of the day fell over her. She had royally screwed up. The woman she had walked out on had done nothing but be there for her in every single way the entire day through; from accepting her own death for the sake of Jane and the teen; to giving over her body for her consumption. Jane felt sick to her stomach. She wondered if Maura would ever forgive her; because she knew she sure as hell wouldn't be very forgiving if the roles were reversed.

 _You condemned her to death and then you used her for your own selfish needs. You fucking coward; get back in there and grovel until she forgives you like only she could._

She ignored the voice in her head and drove away.

* * *

 **A/N:** **Firstly, please don't kill me HA HA and please don't hate on Jane... she's dealing with a lot... and I am content in promising a happy ending, but the middle... wellllll... *shrug***

 **Secondly, my sincere thanks to all who read, fave, follow and review. Especially thanks to those who prefer the fluff, but support me by reading through all my angst for the happy moments. I appreciate you all.**

 **And you can be mad at Jane if you want... just be constructive with your comments :D**


	7. Chapter 7

When Jane drove away from Maura's home she wasn't sure where to go as she was too keyed up to head back to her apartment and she really needed to talk to someone about the day, but talking to Frankie or her Ma just seemed a bad idea. Her fingers drummed relentlessly against the steering wheel as she navigated early evening traffic in Boston.

The sun was setting on the horizon, but the sky was painted a burnt orange as the fading light illuminated her way through the cemetery she was visiting. Her usual swagger made way for a slightly hesitant stride as she closed in on her destination; the resting place for Detective Barry Frost.

Sometimes it was easier to talk to someone who wasn't going to talk back or judge her for her actions. She glanced around to ensure she was alone before gently plopping herself down in front of the gravesite. "Man, you wouldn't believe the day I've had. I'm pretty sure every single decision I made today was wrong; even the right ones." She sighed heavily, really missing her former partner in that moment. "Got caught up in another lunatic's crazy games this morning Frost and once again Maur was dragged into it and shiiiit," she ran a hand through her dark curls repetitively as the morning replayed in vivid detail in her mind. "We got so damn lucky."

Jane shifted her knees up so that she could rest her chin on them while she wrapped her arms around her legs. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine happier times before life had gotten so complicated and messed up. She smiled at the memory of Frost's perfectly white smile contrasted against his dark skin; his smile was probably her second favourite smile behind Maura's. "If it wasn't for this lunatic Frost, I would have killed Maura today; but I guess choosing to kill her was the right answer. This whole situation is FUBAR."

"I really messed up; I'm talking monumentally Frost." She opened her eyes and glanced around as she tilted her head's position on her knees. It was surprisingly tranquil in the cemetery, the wind barely rustling the leaves of nearby trees and she still seemed alone in that section. "I dunno what to do; I hurt her bad and God, it's the last thing I wanna do, but she's not safe with me. She's not." She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince anymore, the spirit of a dead man or her own heart.

She brought her head back to direct attention at the engraved granite headstone and heaved a giant sigh as she felt the prickling of fresh tears forming in her eyes. She had really thought she was all cried out; she surmised that was yet another thing she had been wrong about. "What do you think I should do Frost?" She rolled her eyes because she knew what he would say. "Yeah, she's had my back all this time, I gotta have hers. I gotta talk to her; damnit. This is gonna bite."

As the last of the light faded in the sky Jane pulled herself to her feet and with one last look at the gravestone she whispered, "I miss ya partner."

* * *

Agent Geneva Blake glanced sideways at her partner Agent Mancini and studied the subtle changes that crossed his striking Mediterranean features as he weaved in and out of traffic while tailing the vehicle of Detective Jane Rizzoli from several vehicles back. She could tell the New York born Italian had some theories bouncing around in his head and she had to stifle a smirk.

She had heard about the way Doctor Maura Isles had basically torn him a new one in defence of the Boston Italian detective and that he wasn't too happy about it. Still she struggled to see any reason behind his persistent view that the doctor and detective duo knew more about what was going on than it appeared. "Okay spill," she said with a hint of amusement twinkling in her light brown eyes.

"I'm just frustrated," he said, never taking his eyes off the road in front of him. "We have pretty much nothing to go on with this guy and what we thought we knew was just turned on its head."

"Yes, but that can happen and you know that as well as anyone. Why do you have your sights set so firmly on Rizzoli and Isles?" She persisted with her line of enquiry, trying to get him to open up, knowing that at times it would take a crow bar to get him to speak.

"They all lived." It was as simple as that in his mind and while it was harsh, he couldn't help but question the true nature of events; it seemed incongruous with what he had deemed to be the unknown subject's modus operandi. "Doesn't fit the unsub's profile," he elaborated verbally.

Blake focused on the traffic ahead of them as she considered his words. "Or Detective Rizzoli has a point when she suggested that the unsub is looking to punish those in law enforcement he deems unworthy; dishonourable."

"Maybe," he grunted reluctantly.

"Think about it Victor, from what she told me today she chose to save the girl over her best friend and then actually had to be the one to complete the act…"

"And yet Doctor Isles is perfectly fine." Mancini interjected, noting that Rizzoli was heading back towards Beacon Hill. "God, does that woman even have a home of her own? I think were headed back to Isles' residence."

Blake ignored his secondary outburst and focused on the facts of the case. "Which lends credence to Rizzoli's theory; we should be looking into local law enforcement for a link to this guy."

Mancini smiled for the first time that evening, "We are."

She rolled her eyes and turned to look out the side window, "We're wasting our time here. Rizzoli was visibly torn up, about the only thing she's guilty of is being in love with Doctor Isles."

He shot her a knowing smirk as he pulled their dark sedan into a spot a block down from where Rizzoli had just pulled in. "Oh the feeling is definitely mutual between the two. I thought she was goin' to pull out a scalpel and cut my balls off if I didn't let her in there to see Rizzoli this afternoon."

Blake chuckled as she watched Detective Rizzoli cross the street towards the home of Doctor Isles. "I think we should keep an eye on these two, but not because they're guilty of anything Victor; I think he'll go after them again."

He turned in his seat so that he was looking at her directly, "Don't you think Rizzoli just got them a free pass? I mean, assuming I am completely wrong and you are right, why the hell is the unsub goin' to target them again?"

"It's what my gut is telling me." She said with a shrug, knowing all too well her gut instinct was often spot on. She narrowed her eyes when he started laughing, "What? You know my gut is good damnit!"

Mancini composed himself and explained, "Oh I know, but I made the mistake of mentioning my gut feelings while talking to Doctor Isles this afternoon. She was quick to inform me that my 'intestines' were incapable of communicating with me. She's a quirky one."

It was Blake's turn to chuckle; "Yeah well your intestines communicate just fine after you've had Indian food. In fact I'd rather they wouldn't."

He shoved her in the shoulder playfully and shook his head, "Whatever Blake, whatever."

* * *

Jane was so distracted by her annoyance at being tailed by the FBI that she momentarily forgot the state of her friendship with Maura. So instead of knocking like she had intended she let herself in all the while muttering to herself as she closed the front door behind her. "Damn feds! Did they really think I wouldn't notice the tail? Assholes."

"Jane?" Maura's voice wasn't very welcoming as she glanced up from the kitchen island where she had been pouring herself a glass of wine. "Do you really think it appropriate to be letting yourself into my home at this time?"

Jane stopped in her tracks and mentally derided herself before putting up her hands in contrition. "Uh yeah, crap, sorry." She turned on her heel and exited whence she came before knocking sharply.

With a shake of her head at the pointlessness of the exercise Maura crossed into the foyer and opened the door, with hand on hip she raised an expectant eyebrow. "Do you really think this makes it any better?"

"I'm so sorry Maur; I didn't mean to just walk in. I was distracted. The FBI has been tailing me this evening." Jane at least had the sense to look apologetic for barging in unannounced.

"Oh." Maura frowned; regardless the events earlier in the afternoon she was none too pleased with that information. She stepped out of the doorway and motioned inside her home, "I take it you had something you wanted to discuss, besides the FBI and their nonsensical ideas?"

Jane stepped past Maura and nodded, "Yeah, we should talk about… earlier. If you want to, that is." She stuffed her hands in her jeans and stood just inside the living room waiting for Maura to direct the location of their conversation.

"I was just pouring myself a glass of wine. Did you want a beer?" Maura asked, her voice finding a tone that conveyed her protective barriers were up and that conversation would be dictated by the depths Jane was willing to go to. She was not in the mood to open up to the detective and receive the Italian woman's typical deflection in return; but she was open to giving Jane the chance to discuss her actions.

Jane followed Maura over to the kitchen island and sat down on a stool. "Yeah that would be nice thanks." She accepted a bottle of beer from the medical examiner, cracked the top and took a long draw before sitting it down in front of her on the counter.

She noted Maura studying her expectantly over the rim of her wineglass and figured she should get the ball rolling. "I shouldn't have walked out on ya like I did earlier Maur and I shouldn't have said the bullshit I did either. I was an asshole." She could tell that Maura was tempted to admonish her for her language, but had held back.

"Yes, you were." Maura confirmed Jane's assessment of her behaviour, "So why did you?"

"Because," she sighed and dropped her eyes to the label on the beer bottle, which she had started to pick at with her fingernails. "God, do I really have to do this? Can't I just tell you how sorry I am and we move past it?"

"Really Jane? I'm just to accept a blanket sorry for the way you _used_ me for a 'quick fuck' when I was in a clearly vulnerable position?" Maura had placed the wine glass down firmly and was doing her best impression of the hand gesticulations she had witnessed many times from the Rizzolis. "I don't know why you bothered coming back here tonight. You have no comprehension of what you have done." Her voice had risen by this point, "Just leave Jane."

Jane bristled at the implications despite knowing they were more than fair and she resented being asked to leave. "You're not the only one who's fucking vulnerable here Maura," she growled angrily. "You weren't exactly beggin' me to stop either." She knew it was a mistake the moment it fell from her lips, but she couldn't retreat fast enough.

"Did you really just say that? Seriously Jane?" Maura shook her head angrily as she walked towards the foyer, "Just leave, please."

Jane slid off the stool and turned to face the seething features of the medical examiner. "If you didn't want it to happen you could have stopped it so don't even try putting all of this on me!" She growled angrily, holding her ground and pointing her finger vehemently; "You wanted it God damnit!"

Maura stalked back over to the Italian and stood toe to toe with her; a delicate yet strong index finger shoved directly into Jane's sternum as she dropped her voice low and bitter; "Yes, heaven forbid I deign to accept the intimacy the woman I love was begging for. You begged me Jane; I told you it was a bad idea but you begged me knowing full well I couldn't deny you."

Jane's shoulders slumped and the air left her chest in a defeated sigh. "I know."

"And then you cheapened the experience Jane. You took something so tender and sweet and cheapened it. You cheapened me." The fight deserted Maura then as bitter tears bit at her cheeks as she realised that the woman she loved had belittled her and made her feel cheap. "Do you even love me Jane, or was that a lie too?"

Maura could have literally punched her in the gut and it wouldn't have hurt worse than that question had. Jane stepped backwards a couple of paces, hurt contorting her features. "Come on Maur, you know me…"

"I'm not sure I do anymore." The words were barely a whisper and Maura had dropped her eyes, unable to meet the hurt staring back at her.

Swallowing back the emotion that threatened to overwhelm her and fighting the urge to flee she took the one giant stride over to Maura and wrapped her arms around her tightly and held on until the smaller woman stopped fighting her. Finally she said, "Of course I love you. I love you so damn much it hurts; but we can't be together Maura. It's just not safe for you."

* * *

 **A/N: Longest chapter yet, damn I got on a roll... but I thought it was a good time to end... got leave you all salivating for more, right? ;)**

 **Thank you to all who are reading and reviewing and enjoying this offering!**

 **Also Special thanks to Miss Peg for the cover graphic I added to this fic :D**


	8. Chapter 8

He tapped furiously at the keyboard, bringing up footage from the Isles residence the afternoon after his little game. He had followed them from the station and knew that the detective had gone home with her best friend and his curiosity was piqued. They had passed his test and he would be having the cameras removed when the handyman returned to complete the guest bathroom renovations. He would then move on to his next target; but before then he just wanted to revel in some of the psychological damage he would have caused.

He studied the detective as she sat with a beer on the couch in the living room and it was obvious she was clearly troubled by the day's events and this pleased him. Nobody should be able to sweep such terror under the rug. He became curious about the same time Jane did at the medical examiner's absence and shifted through the cameras until the one in the bedroom captured Jane entering and walking over to the en-suite entrance.

He watched on only half surprised when Jane carried Maura out of the bathroom and tossed her down on the bed. He turned the sound off at this point, he wasn't a pervert after all, but he was curious at the escalation in their relationship. He figured the terror of his little game had caused some primal instincts to be activated. He watched the momentary pause for conversation before the two women gave into their base needs; he noted the reverence with which the detective treated the doctor and smiled. He was glad that she had passed the test. She truly seemed a pillar of honour and integrity.

Having seen enough he fast forwarded through the footage until Jane rolled away, and then he backed it up and turned the sound back up to see how the moment played out. His eyes narrowed and his lips curled into a snarl when he heard Jane refer to the intimacy she had shared with Maura as a _quick fuck_. He roared angrily; this was not how a good cop behaved.

It appeared he had given Detective Rizzoli too much credit and he vowed to make the woman pay for hurting the doctor like that. He was an intelligent man and he caught every nuance of their friendship; he recognised that Maura was the one that gave the detective her strength to do right in the world. So how could the detective be so cruel? She had been given a miraculous reprieve that morning and had taken that second chance at happiness and treated it with such disdain. She would be made to suffer. He would see to it that she lost everything. Every. Single. Thing.

* * *

"You look like shit Rizzoli," Detective Riley Cooper shot Jane a cheeky grin, which translated the words spoken to their true meaning: _welcome back_.

Jane took hold of the hand offered and shook vigorously, a smirk firmly plastered on her face she queried, "Coop, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Someone has to keep an eye on you," Riley flashed a perfect white smile that contrasted brilliantly against her naturally tan coloured skin. "I'm your new partner."

Jane ran a hand through her hair and tilted her head slightly in thought. Homicide had been a man down since Frost's demise, and while Nina Holiday had been brought in to work on the computer intelligence side of things, an extra detective had been sorely lacking.

She glanced at the desk opposite hers and saw Riley's box of belongings; she reached over and grabbed Frost's action figure and sat it on her own desk. It was time to move forward and besides, Riley was a good cop and at least she knew her and wasn't being saddled with a rookie. With a nod of approval she said, "I've got a meeting with Cavanaugh and the feds, but I'll catch you up when I get back. Glad ya here, Coop."

"Glad to be back, Rizzoli." The Latina detective watched her partner walk away and turned to Korsak, "Well that went easier than I thought."

"She's had a three week holiday. She'll be back to her regular snarky sarcastic self in no time." He hoped anyway, because Jane had not exactly seemed her usual energetic, bitchy self; not that he would _ever_ call her that to her face, it was part of what made her a fantastic detective. It also made her scary as hell when you crossed her and Vince Korsak was a smart man, he didn't cross Jane Rizzoli.

"Yeah; I heard about what happened with her and that whole situation with Isles and the kid." Riley said conversationally, as she opened one of her drawers and started dumping the contents of the box in there. She'd sort through it later, what she really wanted to do was get caught up with the open cases.

"Yeah well," he motioned for Riley to join him at his desk, waiting to continue until she sat on the corner of his desk with arms folded and a thoughtful look on her face. "I need you to keep an eye on her kid; she's too damn stubborn for her own good and the sick bastard did the one thing you shouldn't do when it comes to Janie."

Riley knew where he was going with this, she may have only been around for a few weeks before moving on from homicide last time around; but it was more than long enough to pick up the important details. "He fucked with Isles."

The senior detective raised a bushy greying eyebrow at the bluntness of the younger woman but afforded her a grim smile because she was correct. "Precisely; so keep her on track will ya? He's been quiet for the last few weeks so her focus has to be on the fresh cases and not an off the grid serial killer. He's the FBI's job now."

"I'll try Sergeant, but this _is_ Jane Rizzoli we're talkin' about!" She slipped off his desk and returned to her desk to finish unpacking.

"Don't I know it," Korsak muttered to himself as he went back to the latest cute kitten video he had been sent by Kiki.

* * *

"Come on! You have got to be kidding me," Jane growled angrily. "You gotta let me work the case Lieutenant."

"Sit down, Rizzoli." Lieutenant Sean Cavanaugh barked forcefully. "The fact is he's gone quiet and the FBI is more than happy to keep focusing on this; we have to focus on cleaning up the unrelated murders."

Jane slumped down with an exasperated sigh; shooting a dark daggered look sideways at Agent Mancini and Agent Blake. "Gonna leave this case to a pair of rookie feds who thought I of all people was involved with this sick fuck." She was never going to forgive them for tailing her for a week before calling off the surveillance.

"Rizzoli," Cavanaugh growled low in warning; he wouldn't be tolerating her insolence too much longer.

Agent Blake put a hand on Mancini's forearm to prevent him from responding indignantly as his facial expression indicated his desire to do so. Once sure her partner would remain quiet she addressed the irritated detective. "You have our sincerest apologies for the way we handled things; but you should know that if he activates again you'll be the first detective I ask for to help us out. In the mean time, focus on what you can do here and we will try and track this son of a bitch down."

"Yeah, well thanks." Jane offered begrudgingly before another thought occurred to her; "What about your surveillance of Doctor Isles?"

Blake wasn't sure why she was surprised, but she supposed nothing slipped past the detective, even if she hadn't been spending much time recently with the doctor. "It's purely a precaution; we, I have concerns."

Jane sat up straighter and stared down the African American woman beside her; "Wait, you think he's gonna come after Maura again?"

Blake shrugged, "Call it a gut instinct." She didn't feel the need to verbalise the thought that he may also target the detective; it was pointless, she kept slipping the tails they had on her and hadn't been spending much time at her apartment or with Doctor Isles either. In fact the only guarantee they had of knowing where Rizzoli would be in the past three weeks was when she trailed the doctor to and from work.

Jane turned back to Cavanaugh and shot a pleading look his way, "Please sir, don't take me off this case." _I have to protect Maura_ the unspoken between them.

"My hands are tied Rizzoli. You and Cooper are to talk to Korsak about the Avery case; get up to speed there and solve the damn thing." He stood from his seat to indicate that the meeting was over for Jane; "Now go."

Jane stood abruptly and stormed out of the office. She ground her teeth in seething anger as she blew by Cooper and Korsak in the bullpen and made a beeline for the elevators; she had to see Maura.

Korsak looked from the retreating form of Rizzoli over to Riley and offered up a shrug and a knowing grin. "There she is." Hurricane Jane was back in the building.

* * *

Jane stood in the doorway between the hall and Maura's office, taking a moment to steel herself before alerting the hard at work medical examiner of her presence. She was actually surprised that Maura hadn't noticed her arrival but a moment later she realised she had erred in that thinking.

"So you're back." It was more of a statement than a question; Maura had seen Frankie first thing that morning and he had told her his sister had been cleared by the department psychologist to return to duty.

"Yeah," Jane shuffled from foot to foot nervously, unsure whether she should enter fully or stay where she was in the doorway.

Maura looked up from her laptop and afforded the detective a once over. She was wearing a dark grey pantsuit with a deep purple button down shirt; her dark curls fell freely around her shoulders but the lack of sleep clearly showed. Furthermore the usually skinny detective was looking a little more gaunt than usual. "Have you been eating properly?" She couldn't help it when it came to Jane, no matter how she was feeling about the woman in that moment her desire to see her healthy always seemed to win out.

Jane bit her lower lip in thought, unsure whether to be honest or not. Deciding on honesty she stepped into the room and closed the office door behind her. "Not really, no. Haven't been sleeping much either."

"I can tell." Maura acknowledged before returning her attention to the computer in front of her. She didn't feel overly comfortable in the detective's presence, but it had been three weeks and aside from the new ritual tail to and from work she hadn't seen nor heard much from Jane, just as she had asked. "Don't think I didn't notice you tailing me to work, detective."

"Hey, you just asked me to give you some time to think, and I did that. I just needed to make sure you were alright, okay?" Jane's reply was unusually soft as she found her way over to the couch and dropped down. She was done with all this distance; they needed to sort their issues out so that she could get her best friend back.

Maura finished a couple of things on the laptop, saved the document and then closed the lid so that there was nothing to impede her view of the detective. "I understand and thank you."

"Welcome," she jammed her hands into her pockets to prevent the anxious rubbing of the scars on her palms. "So uh, have you figured stuff out yet?"

Maura bit back the instant exasperation she felt. She honestly didn't know how she was supposed to pretend like she had never known what it felt like to have the detective under her and on top of her in the most intimate of fashions. She didn't know how she was supposed to bottle back up those feelings of love that had escaped and she sure didn't know how she was supposed to go back to just being friends with the woman sitting across from her. The fact was Jane's stubbornness and insistence that regardless of how they both felt an intimate relationship was out of the question only served to frustrate her. "No, I haven't figured it out Jane. I honestly don't know if I can."

Big brown eyes stared back at Maura helplessly, "I miss you Maur."

"You know how to rectify that." The truth was she missed Jane too, so very much, but what could she do? Friendship was just going to be a reminder of a rejection that cut deep. Honourable or not, the rejection was all that Maura's mind could focus on. She felt like she was back in high school again, rejected by all comers. Except this time it was a lot worse, this time the one person in the world she had truly opened her heart to had effectively shut her down.

Jane chewed on her lip a little hard, drawing blood, as she tried to fight back her rising anger. She didn't know how many times she had to explain to Maura that her life was more important than a romantic relationship. She just couldn't live with the thought of being the reason Maura walked around with a target on the back of her head. "You know I can't Maura. Damnit, being with me puts a target on your head and I just can't be responsible for that."

"I could get hit by a bus crossing the street, Jane. There's always risk if you're looking for it. I have had my fair share of close encounters as your friend, and I honestly don't imagine that will change one way or the other if we embrace the feelings we share."

Jane couldn't sit any longer; she jumped to her feet and started pacing backwards and forwards in the office. "I'm sick of you being collateral damage Maura; you deserve better than that. You could have died three weeks ago because some sicko decided he wanted me to play his fucked up game."

"But I didn't," Maura interjected calmly, her hands folded in front of herself on the desk.

She stopped pacing and turned to look pleadingly at the medical examiner, "Please Maura, can't we just keep the status quo?"

"No," friendship was redundant at this point, especially when it came to Jane's reasoning. The depth of their feelings meant that one way or another she would be at risk of being drawn into dangerous situations, regardless of what they did or did not do in the privacy of their own homes. "I'm sorry Jane, but I cannot pretend that I feel purely platonic things for you. Perhaps should the time come where I am able to move on…" she trailed off her thought when she saw the detective blanch at the thought.

With a shake of the head she pointed out the obvious, "You cannot stomach the thought can you detective?"

Jane considered playing dumb but thought better of it. "Of course I can't, but I don't have to be able to stomach it if it's something that would protect you. You're right, moving on would be the best thing for you." She was pretty sure she had just taken a knife to her own gut and twisted multiple times.

"As you wish. Was there anything else detective?" Easier said than done of course, Maura was pretty sure there was no getting over Jane Rizzoli.

With a defeated slump of the shoulders Jane shook her head and walked out. She figured she would just have to give Maura more time and keep a watchful eye from creepy stalker distance like she had been doing the past three weeks. She just knew that regardless of how she felt and regardless of what Maura decided, she would spend her life keeping the woman she loved safe. _She's safer without you._

* * *

 **A/N: And they keep getting longer, seriously, what? Not sure if I will get an update out tomorrow, so many things to do on little sleep anda long day at that, but I will sure try. Even if Jane is being stubborn, ridiculous and a little redundant, a least they are speaking politely, right?  
**

 **As usual thank you for reading, reviewing, following, favouriting and all that jazz.**


	9. Chapter 9

Maura looked up from her laptop when she heard a soft knock at her office door and watched as Senior Criminalist Susie Chang offered a satisfied smile. "Good Morning Senior Criminalist Chang, what do you have for me?" She bounced back a bright smile and held out a hand to take the offered files.

"Report's back on the particulates found on Lucy Avery's collar, looks like it was motor oil as Detective Korsak suspected." Susie responded brightly.

Maura quickly leafed through the report and nodded her agreement with Susie's findings. "I believe Detective Rizzoli is on this case now, I will let her know. Thank you Susie."

Susie made a move to the door before turning back to look at Maura who had her phone in her hand composing a quick text message, assumedly to the Italian detective. Another hesitation occurred before she decided she would say something. "Doctor Isles, is everything alright between you and Detective Rizzoli? I know she's only been back a week but her absence is rather conspicuous."

Maura regarded Susie thoughtfully; she had an affinity with the woman and did consider her a friend, but wasn't sure work was the best place to be discussing the change in her relationship with the detective she had just messaged advising results were awaiting her collection. Although she was not at all surprised the bright young woman had noticed the detective's absence. "Perhaps we can meet at the Dirty Robber after work to have a catch up chat?"

Susie nodded in understanding. It was clear that whatever was going on between Maura and Jane was affecting the normally unflappable doctor and she felt honoured that Maura would consider discussing this with her. "Sure thing Doctor Isles."

Maura smiled and returned her attention to her computer, which was Susie's signal to depart. A few minutes later the sound of footsteps brought the medical examiner's attention back to her office door and she had to bite back the desire to frown. "Detective Cooper, how can I help you?"

Riley knew this would happen when Jane sent her down for the results. She could feel the arctic chill radiating from Doctor Isles, not that the casual observer would be able to tell differently but Riley knew this woman and knew that she was clearly unimpressed with who stood in her doorway. "Doctor Isles," she greeted with a nod and a smile. "Rizzoli sent me down here for the report on the Avery case."

"I see," Maura stood and moved away from her desk and walked over to the detective, handing her the file. "It appears that the victim had motor oil on her collar, the particulars are in here." She had heard that Riley was back at homicide but she was curious, "Are you partnered with Jane?"

Riley offered a nonchalant shrug and a smirk, "Yeah; she didn't tell you?" She knew things were strained between the two just by the sheer fact that Jane appeared glued to her desk when they weren't out on the streets chasing down interviews and following up on clues. It appeared long gone the days of Jane finding any excuse to come and hang out in the morgue.

"No, she didn't." At that moment Maura's phone vibrated and she held up a hand, "Excuse me a moment." She picked up her phone and smiled genuinely when she saw who was calling. "Good morning Ryan, how are you?"

Riley knew she could leave, she had everything she had ventured downstairs for but she was curious. She watched the way Maura lit up upon speaking to this _Ryan_ person and then instinctively turned her back to Riley as she continued the conversation. After hearing Maura confirm a date for that night she sighed, Rizzoli was probably going to be even more unbearable when she found out and Riley knew she'd find out because she planned to tell her. Whatever was going on between her partner and the chief medical examiner needed to be worked out, because damn if she didn't know two people more suited for one another than those two.

After ending the call Maura turned back to Riley, "Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you detective."

"Yeah sure, thanks Doc." Riley threw her hand up in a quick wave as she turned and retreated back upstairs.

* * *

"Motor oil," Riley said as she dumped the file in front of Jane.

"Guess we ought to dig harder into her mechanic's alibi then." Jane responded as she picked up the file to inspect it. "Did Maura say if they managed to identify a particular brand?"

"Nope," Riley planted her ass firmly on her seat and started sifting through her case files until she found Korsak's handwritten notes from the interview with the mechanic. She screwed up her nose, "Who the hell can read this shit?" She tossed the file over to Jane; "He's your old partner please tell me that makes sense to you."

Jane glanced at the notes and chuckled; "We'll have to ask him when he gets back." She handed the notes back across to Riley and returned to the scientific report that had come from the crime lab and frowned. "She really didn't like tell you the brand and when it was made and all that rubbish that only she and Susie seem to understand?"

Riley made a face like she was thinking hard, mostly just to piss Rizzoli off before shrugging. "Nope, I think she was pissed I came down for the report." She yanked open a drawer, pulled out a hair band and pulled her dark brown hair back into a pony tail; it was almost go time. "We should just stop by and see," she peered at Korsak's notes again, "Gino and ask him some more questions. No point waiting on old man Korsak."

"Don't let him hear you call him that," Jane scoffed as she dropped the report on her desk, her mind drawn directly to Maura and the lack of details. "Maura always gives details; I mean shit she makes Thomas Hardy look ridiculously un-wordy."

Riley rolled her eyes, they were never going to get their work done if Jane was so caught up on what Maura had and hadn't said. "Firstly, what the hell did you just say? Secondly, just sort out whatever the hell is goin' on with you and Isles already would ya?"

Jane glared harshly at Riley. "It's not that simple and Thomas Hardy is some five hundred year old author or somethin' that was like crazy descriptive. I dunno; I blame Maura that I even know such a person existed."

Riley just blinked before shaking her head in an exaggerated manner as if to indicate that Jane was nuts. "Let me guess, all you ever read was Nancy Drew." The smirk on her face indicated she wasn't being too derisive.

Jane balled up a piece of paper from her notebook and tossed it at her partner. "Nah, the Three Investigators were more my thing." She had to admit it was nice settling into a friendly banter rhythm with Riley, it was definitely something she missed with Frost's absence and if she was really honest with herself it helped just a little with the absence of Maura. Of course it was impossible for Jane to ever replace Maura in her life, but just feeling at ease with someone else at work helped.

The Latina detective tossed a faux indignant glare at her partner before jumping out of her seat and grabbing her jacket. "Come on I know a coffee joint on the way to the mechanics, I could do with a break from this place."

Jane checked her belt for her badge, phone and gun, grabbed her blazer and followed Riley towards the elevators. "You said the magic word: coffee."

* * *

Jane and Riley struck a formidable sight as they walked in synchronicity toward Pirelli's Garage. Riley stood a couple of inches shorter than Jane, both women had their hair pulled back in pony tail's and both wore pant suits, with their jackets open so that their badges clipped to their belts were clearly on display.

As they approached the garage Riley recognised the flinch in one of the men, who wore coveralls that hung around his waist and a white tank with numerous grease stains. She had a sneaking suspicion that was Gino and he was planning to run.

She decided now was as good a time as any to tell Jane what she had learned down in the morgue. She nudged the Italian to get her attention and casually said, "So, Maura has a date tonight," she caught the look of ire before focusing back on Gino who had started to side step towards the street. "Gino Pirelli?" she called out, "Boston Homicide…"

Jane barely had a moment to process the information dropped in her lap when Gino bolted. "Damnit," she growled before taking off after the mechanic with Riley right on her heels. "Why do they always run?" She asked rhetorically as she side stepped several surprised pedestrians that had nearly been bowled over by the mechanic.

Gino ducked and weaved between several more pedestrians before cutting around a corner into an alley in the hopes of eluding the detectives hot on his trail. Unfortunately he found that he had run himself into a dead end when a wired gate that was usually open was deadlocked. He hurled himself up the wire and tried to climb up and over but felt a strong tug at his coveralls before he crashed into the pavement with a groan.

Jane kneeled down into his back and yanked his hands around to cuff him. "Why were you running Gino?" She asked with a grin as she pulled him up onto his feet. "Don't bother answering that. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney," she finished reading him his Miranda Rights before shoving him in Riley's direction. "Just for that, you can haul his ass back to the car."

Riley grinned smugly as she took hold of Gino and gently nudged him towards the direction of their vehicle. "Motivated you didn't it?"

A guttural growl was the only response Riley received between the alley and the vehicle. Once she had helped him into the backseat she turned to face Jane who was pacing agitatedly beside them. "Out with it Rizzoli."

Jane stopped pacing and looked across at her partner with more openness than she would normally allow in this situation. "Maura really got a date?"

"Yeah. Seemed happy to hear from him too, well I assume it's a _him_ someone named Ryan." She could tell that this news rattled her partner but almost as quickly as the emotion had been clear to read it was shut down, nothing but calm and collected Rizzoli on show for the world.

"Okay cool." Jane shrugged and jumped in the driver's side; no way was she letting Riley drive while she was in this mood. She silently seethed as she navigated them through traffic and back to the station. She knew she didn't have a right to be angry or jealous but she couldn't control her damn feelings at the best of times, yet alone now.

Riley considered trying to get Jane to open up a bit more but the daggered look she received just for looking sideways at her partner told her to let it go for the time being. She knew it wouldn't be easy working with Rizzoli, but she felt that they had been developing a genuine rapport, one built on mutual respect. Now she just felt at sea. She sighed and reminded herself to take her time and steer clear of mentions of Doctor Isles where possible; that woman would turn Rizzoli's mood on a dime.

Jane pulled the cruiser out the back of headquarters so that they could take Gino to booking. Running from them hadn't been his smartest move because now she felt very confident of making him break; he was already clearly afraid.

Before that though, she had somewhere she needed to be. "Coop, check him in will ya? I'll be back in a few and we can sort this mess out," she shot a dirty look into the back seat to remind Gino she was on to him before exiting the vehicle.

* * *

"Good news, pretty sure we got the Avery perpetrator sitting in booking waiting for me to nail his ass to the wall." Jane said as she appeared in front of Maura's desk. "Unless running from the cops is a new sport I don't know about."

Maura leaned back in her seat and frowned. "There are many reasons he may have run Jane. Why are you down here when you should be upstairs interviewing this suspect?"

The detective shifted uncomfortably, jamming her hands in her pockets. "Just wanted to let you know that we got the guy," she shrugged.

Maura sighed and moved away from her seated position to close the office door behind Jane. She turned to the detective and said, "Detective Cooper told you about Ryan, didn't she?"

"Maybe," Jane mumbled as she found a scuff mark on her boot really interesting.

Maura guided the sullen detective to the couch, "Sit," she commanded as she too sat on the couch. "Now look at me Jane," she implored softly. Once Jane met her gaze she continued, "Ryan is only a friend Jane. A new friend yes, but simply a friend. He called and asked me if I would like to accompany him to the Isles Foundation's joint charity fundraiser with the Sarah Martin Memorial Charity and I agreed."

"Okay," Jane said dumbly, knowing that Maura was being more than accommodating of feelings when she had no reason to. She sighed, it was all such a mess and while she knew how to get Maura back in her life it just frightened her too much. The thought of public scrutiny on their relationship bringing out even more of the crazies was more than enough motivation to try and suck up the jealousy. "I'm sorry, I just thought…"

"I wouldn't do that to you Jane. I'm sure part of you still struggles to believe how seriously I feel for you, but believe me Jane when I say I couldn't just up and start dating because you tell me it would be best." She allowed herself a moment of weakness and ran a comforting hand along Jane's arm, "I would tell you if there was someone else in my life, regardless of how things are between us."

"You shouldn't you know. It's your life and I hurt you bad and…"

"Bad _ly_ ," Maura corrected cheekily, unable to help herself.

Jane sighed, "I hate it when you correct me."

"And I hate it when you forget Mr Adverb." She smiled warmly, "Just give me time, maybe we can salvage our friendship." It was going to take a lot of time, but she wasn't ready to consider a life without Jane Rizzoli in it. "Unless of course you change your mind, in which case you know where to find me."

"Yeah." Jane stood then and made her way towards the door, pausing for a moment to look back at the medical examiner. "You deserve to be happy Maur; I hope you know that."

"As do you, detective."

* * *

 **A/N: This was a fun chapter to write. It might not seem like much is happening, but stuff is bubbling away under the surface in preparation for later chapters. Character and relationship development ;)**

Mr Adverb just forced his way into this one... I normally try not to use quotes from the show too much, but then sometimes it is so ingrained because I have watched the show so damn much ha ha.

 **Thank you for reading, reviewing and all the faves and follows. Go on, tell me what you're thinking... I know some of you have got something to say.**


	10. Chapter 10

Lieutenant Cavanaugh had been so pleased with Jane and Riley successfully cracking Gino for the murder of Lucy Avery that he rewarded the pair with an early mark. It was Friday after all and Rizzoli especially looked weary; as such he sent them home at four pm and told them he didn't want to see either of them in the office until Monday.

Subsequently Riley was now sliding Jane's fourth beer in an hour and a half in front of the buzzed detective. "So, you wanna tell me what's goin' on between you and Isles or not?"

Jane took a long draw of the beer and watched as Riley slid into the booth opposite with her own beer. She heaved a sigh and considered if there was any upside to delving into the details. Maybe it was the buzz, or maybe it was the fact she really needed to get outside of her own head. "It's complicated and whatever I say here, stays between us, right?"

Riley simply nodded and took a draw of her own beer. Putting the bottle back down, she tilted her head in thought as she studied the varying emotions flashing across Jane's face. "Come on Rizzoli, we're partners now; you know I got your back."

Jane swallowed down another large mouthful before wrapping both hands around the bottle, anything to stop the anxious wringing of her hands. "After what happened with that sick bastard," she levelled her gaze with Riley's to check she understood which bastard she was referring to and when Riley nodded she continued, "Things got a little out of hand. I mean Christ, she's my best friend Coop, I condemned her to death and through some fuckin' miracle she lived."

"Out of hand, how?" Riley asked casually between draws. She knew the key was to not seem too eager or Rizzoli would tighten right up.

Jane didn't really hear her partner though, she just continued with the thoughts that were fighting to be released into the air. "I've always known she was something special… I just never thought I would let my guard down like that. Hell I didn't let it down; her damn crying ripped it to pieces. Fuck, Coop… I messed up so bad…"

Riley was no fool, she knew Jane was hopelessly in love with Maura and she knew the feelings were reciprocated. She could also put two and two together and had a good strong theory on what had occurred between the two women, but the distant look in Jane's eyes confused her. "What happened?"

With a shake of her head and another long draw Jane retreated back into her own mind. "Doesn't matter," she declared wistfully, "She's got a date tonight and I don't care what she says about him just being a friend… he's gonna be in love with her by the end of the night…. I mean who wouldn't be?"

Riley rolled her eyes, "God Rizzoli, like any man or woman has a chance with Isles. She only has eyes for _you_!"

"I know," a defeated sigh, "But I told her to get over it."

Riley almost choked on her mouthful of beer and spit it out in shock at her partner's words. "What the actual fuck?" When Jane didn't say anything, just gestured at the beer she now wore on herself, Riley sighed. "You absolute fucking dumbass Rizzoli."

Jane grabbed a napkin and wiped down the beer her partner had so ineloquently spat on her. "Damn Coop, I hope you're not a projectile vomiter."

"I just wasted good beer on you. What the actual fuck?" Riley's mind was still stuck on the thought of someone with a chance at something as beautiful as love throwing it away. What the hell was wrong with her partner? "Why?"

"Come on Cooper, you know I can't drag her into my life anymore than I already have. I'm a fuckin' serial killer magnet and being with me makes her a target. I date her, the press gets a wind of it and then a whole new bunch of crazies come after her because they got beef with me!" She sighed, "It's killin' me Coop, it really is but I'd rather endure this god awful ache than be responsible for her death."

"You ever stop and ask her how she feels about the added risk you're so worried about? You ever think that maybe to Isles, you're worth it?" Riley probed, reluctant to just let it go.

Jane simply ignored her and waved towards the entrance where Susie had just walked in, "What's up Chang?"

"I think I need another drink after what you just told me partner, I'll be back." Riley slipped out of the booth and wandered over to the bar while Susie slid into the spot she had vacated.

"Detective Rizzoli," Susie greeted with a smile.

"You know outside of work you can just call me Jane, right?" Jane was incredibly relieved to have seen the Senior Criminalist walk in to take the heat off the conversation she had been having. "So what brings you here tonight?"

"I'm meeting Doctor Isles for a brief drink, before she heads out to the charity auction. She had forgotten when we made plans this morning, wouldn't accept a complete reschedule. I really didn't mind, the Isles Foundation raises a lot of money for those in need." Susie responded enthusiastically.

"You know what Maura is like. She would feel so guilty if she stood you up completely." Jane said before polishing off the last of her beer. It was definitely time to slow down and as such she was ever grateful when Riley appeared, sliding a glass of water in front of her before sliding into the booth next to her. Jane shot a curious eyebrow at the Latina detective but thought nothing more of it.

"'Sup Susie?" Riley asked with a grin, pushing a bottle of beer in front of the woman. "Hope beer is fine with you?"

Susie picked up the offered beverage and took a long draw, "Hits the spot."

The three women fell into a comfortable conversation, reliving memories from Riley's first stint with homicide. Much laughter was shared when Riley told the exaggerated story of when Jane thought she was a drug dealer. Although Jane shook her head ruefully at simpler times; times when her relationship with Maura wasn't so complicated and when she still had the company of her old partner Barry Frost.

"Oh no, Rizzoli here comes trouble," Riley said with a snicker and a playful elbow. "Isles just walked in. Say Susie, did you know…"

She never finished her sentence as Jane pretty much tackled her in the process of clamping a hand over her mouth. "Don't you dare," Jane hissed angrily as she untangled herself from the Latina woman.

Riley simply smirked at her partner and offered a shrug of the shoulders in response. Her smirk quickly faded when Maura appeared at the end of the table, looking decidedly pissed off. She swallowed thickly, "Hey Doc."

"Detective Cooper," Maura acknowledged coldly, before taking a moment to assess the rest of the table. She nodded curtly at Jane before looking to her friend, "Susie; shall we?"

Sensing the tension that had cropped up with her employer's arrival Susie scooted out of the booth and shot an awkward smile at the two detectives before addressing Maura. "Yes, lets."

"Wow, it's colder than Antarctica in here. What the hell _did_ _you do_?" Riley asked after watching the science geeks wander away to get their own table.

Jane sighed, still hurting from being virtually ignored by her best friend. Although she was seriously starting to wonder if the time Maura had asked for would ever make things better between them. She shoved Riley away out of frustration, "Come on, it's time to leave."

"Fine, but if you expect me to go home with you, you better buy me dinner first." Riley deadpanned before cracking into a ridiculous grin.

Jane rolled her eyes and slid out of the booth, pushing Riley towards the door as she went. "Yeah I'll buy you dinner, but I ain't taking you home with me Cooper. That's just gross."

* * *

Maura knew the night was only going to go downhill from the moment she walked into the Dirty Robber to see Jane with her hands all over Riley. While she logically recognised it was a completely platonic exaggerated attempt at shushing the woman it still irked her beyond belief. She despised the jealousy she felt bubbling within and she loathed her childish behaviour in reaction. She had frozen Jane out completely for the moments she was in the detective's presence.

Maura shook her head at the memory before sipping on the glass of wine she had poured the moment Ryan had left. She needed to relax and process the night. Susie had been incredibly insightful when it came to discussions on the detective's absence from the morgue that week. She had opened up as best she could and was relieved to find Susie clearly in her corner. A small smile played at Maura's lips as she remembered the younger woman's grand plans to help Jane see exactly what she was missing.

If only making the detective jealous was enough to help her change her mind. If it was Maura had no doubt that Ryan Leiland, thirty five, six foot tall with handsome features, including a tantalising chiselled jaw and baby blue eyes, would do just the trick. His blonde locks capped off the movie star look and for Maura, if it weren't for her unwavering dedication to Jane, she might just find him a suitable romantic interest. He was vibrant, intelligent and her mother would approve because he was the majority shareholder and Chief Executive Officer of Leiland Software and Technologies. He was kind, considerate and very thoughtful, but he was no Jane.

Maura found herself feeling frustrated, headed towards decidedly angry with the detective for the impact she was having on her life. Her jealousy and the subsequent distraction it had caused her had been very obvious to Ryan who had insisted they escape the auction early so that he could bring her home. He had been so thoughtful that she had allowed him in for a night cap, where they had talked about a lot of things. He had proven to be a surprisingly good listener and very intuitive to her conversational needs; never thrown by her nervous rambling of facts.

The one thing that had surprised Maura was in fact how comfortable she had found herself feeling around Ryan. He had listened intently when she had brought up the subject of Jane, prompting her to open up further. She had realised as she let all her feelings pour forth uncensored that she had really needed to speak with someone independent of the situation. He had been supportive but had asked her to consider whether Jane was truly worth all this heartache, if she couldn't stand up and embrace their feelings. Normally she would have taken such words defensively, because in her mind, Jane was worth it all; but he had seemed so genuinely concerned solely on her well being that she couldn't take it badly.

So yes, this is why Maura sat on her couch drinking a glass of red silently fuming at the thought of the raven haired detective. She deserved more than what she was receiving and she decided she would have to try one more time to talk Jane into giving their love a chance. If the detective declined, she was intent on doing whatever it took to move on from the woman because she deserved better. She was Maura Isles, and she was a damn fine catch.

* * *

"You wouldn't take me home with you, but you'd bring me to some cheap ass motel? Did I forget to mention I'm not that kinda girl, Rizzoli?" Riley shot Jane an amused grin to go with a playful eyebrow quirk.

Jane tossed some money at the taxi driver before shoving Riley down the path towards one of the motel rooms facing the parking lot. "Shut it, Cooper."

If she was honest she was completely perplexed at this stage by her partner's behaviour. Sure she was probably a bit inebriated, but after dinner at an establishment decidedly not the Dirty Robber, and a couple more drinks on top of that Jane had insisted they jump in a cab.

She was about to open her mouth to question the Italian further when she walked into the room Jane had opened and all thoughts had escaped her brain. In front of her, besides the most basic of beds and an old television sitting on a debilitated dresser, was a whiteboard covered in pictures, notes and question marks. The primary focus being a gigantic drawn question mark at the top middle of the board; from there lines branched out to victims of the Catch 22 killer, with scribbled information and questions filling the space around them.

It was Detective Jane Rizzoli's personal murder board.

"Well damn," Riley finally muttered when she remembered that breathing was an essential component to living. She dropped onto the edge of the bed, her knees going weak with the enormity of what she was seeing. This was Detective Jane Rizzoli's way of saying _I trust you_ and she was absolutely stunned by the revelation. "Shit," she breathed, "Shit, shit, shit."

Jane closed the door behind them, engaged the chain lock and turned back towards the murder board before looking over at her partner, "He targeted Maura, Coop. I don't care what Cavanaugh or the feds say, I'm not off this case. I'll be on this case until that bastard is dead and buried. You with me on this?"

"Yeah I'm with you," Riley looked steadily at the intense dark eyes sizing her up. "We'll get the bastard Rizzoli."

Jane nodded happy with the sincerity and determination she saw in her partner's eyes. She stuck out a hand and pulled her off the bed; "No time to sit down on the job Cooper you need to get caught up."

"Yeah yeah," Riley said as she moved closer to the murder board and started taking in the information. She knew she would have to ask a lot of questions, but she had no doubt Rizzoli would have the answers. There was however one pertinent question on her mind, "Why the hell is this here in some stingy motel room?"

"Couldn't keep it at my apartment," Jane said with a shrug.

"Why not?"

"You've met my mother."

Riley laughed at the thought of the Rizzoli Matriarch, "Ah yeah and she got a key don't she?"

"Sure does," she studied the board, for what felt like the millionth time. "I'm hoping you can see something I don't Coop, cause at this stage unless the guy strikes again, we've got nothin' to lead us to him."

"I sure hope so too."

* * *

 **A/N: Phew, was starting to wonder if I would get this one done today, but here it is. Things are starting to percolate.**

 **As usual my thanks to all who read, review, favourite and follow.**


	11. Chapter 11

_The afternoon was stunning, the sun shone brightly and the wind was light and refreshing as it rustled through the leaves of the trees around them. He followed after his twin brother as he walked the bank of the river; he knew they should have told their parents where they were going, but Rhys was so impetuously inquisitive he thought it best just to keep an eye on his sibling._

 _They reached a point where the calm river shifted into a section of rapids; they weren't that far from the campsite but he wasn't feeling as confident as his brother. "Come on Rhys, maybe we should get back?"_

 _"_ _Why are ya chicken?" Rhys taunted as he stepped out further on some rocks that jutted out of the water._

 _He wasn't chicken, but he wasn't stupid either. Shaking his head in the negative he said, "It's not safe, Mom is gonna kill us if we don't get back!"_

 _"_ _Boys? Where are you?" His mother's voice filtered through the air, calming him somewhat at the thought she wasn't so far away after all._

 _He went to respond when Rhys shot him a dirty look and sneered, "Don't be such a tattletale."_

 _His shoulders slumped and he sat down on the embankment, content to let his brother be the one to take the silly risks. It was just who Rhys was, always pushing the boundaries. He had fallen out of that many trees and escaped with minor abrasions he genuinely wondered if Rhys was impervious to real harm._

 _He was staring at the scribbles in the dirt he made with a stick when a blood curling scream forced his head to shoot up. Rhys had fallen from the rocks and was being swept away by the current. He was on his feet instantly running along side the river, "Mom!" He screamed._

 _Rhys was struggling against the current, head going under before bobbing back up as he tried to swim towards shore, but he was just a kid and the current was too strong. He ran after his brother and reached an outcrop of land right before his brother, he stuck out his hand and hoped Rhys could grab hold._

 _The water was cold and rough when he landed in it; Rhys slipping further away. "Mom! Dad! Rhys!" His frightened screams echoed through the nature reserve as he too was dragged under by the current._

 _All he could feel was the cold wrapped around him and all he could see was the foaming of the water and the rocks they were headed for at too high a velocity. The last thing he remembered was a pitiful choking cry for his mother before it all went black._

* * *

His eyes shot open at the vivid memory haunting his dreams; he rubbed his eyes and sat up. He had fallen asleep on the couch. He cursed the death of his father for triggering the memories of the worst time in his life. He stood and stretched before crossing the room and sitting down at his computer.

After entering his password he navigated to a folder with family photos, entered the password to gain access and brought up the scans of old photos from his childhood. His eyes settled on a family photo; his mother and father arm in arm, with him and his brother taking up on each side of their parents. His mother was beautiful, blonde, blue eyed, and her gaze was filled with adoration as she looked at his father. His father was dashingly handsome in his police uniform with dark brown hair and piercing green eyes that were clearly lost in his wife's.

The longer he looked at this snapshot in time the angrier he felt at the hand he had been dealt in his life. He lost his brother and his mother that fateful summer day; she had drowned trying to save Rhys and from the moment he had regained consciousness he had wished his father had saved his mother and brother instead. His father was never the same again and neither was he.

The anger was too much so he closed the folder and navigated to the folder entitled _Rizzoli_ , entered the password for that folder and opened it. He sorted through the surveillance photos he had taken or obtained from other sources. He had photographs of all the people that played a part in Jane's life as well as Maura's and his intention was for Jane to know exactly how much she had to lose, before he finally ended her undeserving existence.

He printed out photographs of Cooper, Korsak and Chang and stuck them up on a cork board. He had very meticulous ideas in place and would continue to watch until he could manipulate the circumstances the way he wanted. He planned on putting Jane into another situation where she was forced to choose and this time, someone would die and if he manipulated the situation just right – Maura would turn against the detective; the ultimate loss.

Turning back to his desk he picked up the file he printed last night; Doctor Evan Felton's psychological report for the Boston Police Department. He chuckled to himself as he read through the analysis on the detective; she was good at playing the game it seemed, but he knew she was as obsessed with him as he was with her downfall.

After he finished reading the report he placed it back on his desk and glanced at the time. It was early morning and he didn't have any work responsibilities so he decided it was time for a little more surveillance. Sitting back down at his computer he brought up a program that enabled him to track Jane's phone via a security app all Boston Police Department detectives had installed. He noted down the address as it wasn't one he was familiar with and pocketed his phone, grabbing his camera bag and tablet computer on the way out of the building.

* * *

"Rise and shine Coop," Jane said, tossing a bottle of water at the Latina detective sprawled out like a starfish on the motel room bed.

The water bottle bounced off her back and caused a frustrated growl to escape Riley, although it was muffled by the pillow. She rolled over and stared up at Jane who must have showered because her hair was wet and pulled back into a pony tail. "Fuck, it's too early. Go away."

Jane allowed a dry chuckle to escape her lips. "At least you've slept."

Riley glanced at her watch, "Two hours is not sleep Rizzoli."

"You can go home you know. I don't expect you to work yourself into the ground on my behalf." Jane offered up with a shrug, knowing that at least one of them needed to be fit for duty on Monday.

Riley sat up, rubbed at her eyes some more and yawned loudly. "We have an actual weekend off and we're not on call. I dunno about you but I can't think of a better way to spend my free time, except maybe finding some coffee and bacon."

"There's a diner down the road, let's grab a bite then we'll go over this again… sober." Jane helped Riley up, slipped her blazer back on and grabbed her phone and keys. "Come on Coop, coffee's waiting."

* * *

He watched them as they departed the motel, snapping a multitude of photographs and watched them through the camera until he saw them duck into the diner. He looked down at his camera and used the preview screen to shift through the photos and as he looked at photographs of the two detectives exiting the motel room a devious idea popped into his head.

He waited for them to return so that he could snap some more of them entering the motel room before departing for home. He had some photographs to print out and leave for Doctor Isles. It should be nothing more than a nuisance for the detective, but anything that he could use to cause a rift in trust between the two women served his purposes well.

* * *

With their hunger sated and energy levels replenished from a hearty breakfast the two detectives took to discussing the case. Riley questioned Jane on all aspects to obtain a better idea of where her theory was and found herself to be in agreement and this fact was disturbing because of the conclusion they had drawn.

"So," Riley said exhaling a loud puff of air, "This guy has access to BPD files?" It was phrased as a tentative question, but she knew it was a giant resounding yes.

"He has too much intimate knowledge of the way we think. He knew that I shot myself to save Maura; that was never made public. None of the news reports delved that deeply into what happened; but I mentioned it in my statement that my motivation was to protect Maura and Frankie." An involuntary shudder ran down her spine as her mind briefly drifted back to the siege of headquarters and the emergency procedures she had forced Maura into performing to save her brother.

"So are you thinking there's a leak?"

"God I hope not." Jane had considered the idea, but the more she thought over her experience that fateful morning the more she considered the likelihood the unsub was incredibly talented with computers. "He had an elaborate computer setup at the scene; my gut is telling me this guy is really intelligent and more than capable of hacking our systems."

"But, we're not gonna take any chances are we?" Riley already knew the answer; aside from the fact that this case was meant to be in FBI hands only at this point, the number of people they could trust with this was minimal.

"Nah, we're not. God I wish I had actually taken the time to get to know Nina better because we could really use some computer whiz right about now." Jane pinched the bridge of her nose as the pounding of her head intensified; she needed to sleep.

"Maybe you should let the feds know your theory?" Riley suggested.

"I think I already did, but I have no idea if they followed up on it or not." She slumped down on to the bed, "Go home and catch some shut eye, I'll call you later."

Riley didn't have to be told twice; her brain was at capacity and the breakfast had only boosted energy reserves minimally. "You got it, talk later partner." With that she left to hail a taxi.

Jane dropped down onto her back and rolled over, grabbing a pillow to hold onto as she fell into a fitful sleep plagued by nightmares. Her subconscious taunted her with a mash up of the greatest hits of Charles Hoyt and the latest killer to have her in his sights. She whimpered her way through numerous scenarios where she failed to protect Maura and violently painful things happened to the medical examiner.

Several hours later she jolted awake and sat up, reacquainting herself with her surroundings. She had watched Maura die one too many times to want to close her eyes again. She rolled over the bed and reached down to pick up the bottle of water that she had thrown at Riley that morning. She drank some of the water before doing the bottle back up and sitting it on the bed. She scooted forward and stared at the murder board, still too tired to really think clearly.

The ringing of her phone dragged her out of her stupor. "Rizzoli," she snapped roughly.

 _"Jane, it's me."_

She pulled the phone away from her ear for a moment and stared at the screen before returning it to her ear. "So it is. What's up Maur?"

 _"Did I wake you?"_

"Nah, I've been up…"

 _"You sound exhausted."_

Jane felt her irritation rising, the conversation was going nowhere fast. "What do you want, Maura?" There was silence on the other end of the line; she heaved a heavy sigh. "Well?" She knew she was being snappy but there just wasn't any energy reserves left for filtering her feelings and the lack of sleep had left her highly irritable.

 _"I need to talk to you…"_

"So talk." She heard an exasperated sigh.

 _"In person; would you mind if I came over to your apartment?"_

Would she mind? Of course she'd mind, she wasn't there. She swallowed thickly, "If you want, just give me an hour yeah?"

 _"Okay, but Jane?"_

"Yeah?"

 _"Where are you?"_

She was too tired for this and her brain was refusing to cooperate and God she just wanted to sleep. "I'm tired Maura, maybe this can wait until tomorrow?"

 _"No, I do not think this can wait."_

Was that anger? She suddenly felt more alert. "Maur, what's wrong?"

 _"I'm at your apartment, Jane. You're not."_

Jane wanted to throw her phone at the frustration this conversation was causing her. "Never said I was home, Maur. Why do you think I asked for an hour?"

 _"So, where are you?"_

"Out. I'll be home soon. Just wait for me." She ended the call before Maura could pry any further. The last thing she needed was for Maura to know about the room and more importantly what she was storing in the room.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry about not updating yesterday, I needed to recharge the batteries and hash out some more plans for this. Soooo, this serial killer is a devious little rotter isn't he? I debated not leaving it here... but hey... it's a good spot to take a break. Next chapter will see our girls back in the same room...**

 **As usual all my thanks to those who read, review, follow and fave this fiction and any of my other works. It means so much to me.**


	12. Chapter 12

The first thing Jane noticed when she arrived back at her apartment was how clean it was. The absence of pizza boxes and beer bottles on her coffee table stood out, but then she realised the rest of the living area had been dusted, vacuumed and tidied up. The kitchen bench that separated the kitchen from the living area had been tidied also and this caused a heavy sigh to escape her lips. She knew she had been seriously slacking in the cleaning department the previous month given that her mind was clearly elsewhere but now she just felt flat out guilty.

"Maura?" She called out tentatively as she scanned for her best friend.

Maura appeared from the direction of her bedroom. "You're home."

Jane waved her arms around gesticulating in the general direction of her entire apartment. "What have you done to the place?"

Maura cocked her head to the side at the ridiculousness of the question. "I cleaned Jane, someone had to."

"Okaaaay," she drew out the word and huffed some strands of hair out of her eyes. She wandered over to the couch and slumped down, taking a moment to close her eyes and find some inner peace. She thought Maura might actually be proud of her attempt, if the anger wasn't so clearly radiating off her in waves. "So, you're pissed off at me about something. Care to enlighten me doctor?"

"Very astute Jane." Maura replied, maintaining the calmness in her voice. Her eyes said everything. She picked up a folder that had been sitting on the coffee table and handed it to the detective. "These were left for me this morning."

Jane opened the folder and felt the bottom fall out of her stomach. She swallowed hard as her eyes traced the images of her and Riley entering and leaving the motel room with her murder board. She cringed at the thoughts she could imagine someone uninformed might come to. She looked up at Maura, whose eyes would have killed, if of course looks could. "Not what it looks like Maura."

"So enlighten me detective, why it is there are photographs of you and Detective Cooper leaving and returning to a motel room in the early hours of this morning?" Her arms were folded across her chest in support of her eyes, which clearly screamed _do not lie to me Jane_.

"I know what it looks like Maura, but I swear to you there is a genuine reason for these pictures that has nothing to do with, you know…" her voice trailed off at the absurdity and discomfort brought on by the thought.

"Intercourse," Maura finished for her. "I would certainly hope not." Her tone had a hint of a bite to it as the thought stirred up intense jealousy and rage.

Jane was tired and stressed and God did she wish she could erase the last month and re-write history. "So is that all you wanted Maura? To accuse me of fucking my partner?"

"I want the truth. I am tired of the games you're playing."

"Games?" Jane jumped to her feet and stood toe to toe with the medical examiner. "All I am trying to do is keep you safe. God damnit Maura, you have no idea what it has been like for me since…" She threw up her arms and stormed off to her bedroom; she didn't have the energy for the fight that she felt Maura was angling for.

"Since what Jane?" Maura demanded angrily as she stalked after the detective. "Since you fucked me and left afterwards? Since you told me you loved me, but that we cannot be together? Since what?" She was incensed by the entire last month. She hated how lonely she had become and she was sick of Jane hiding behind an excuse that held no water.

Jane whirled around, bringing Maura to an abrupt stop in the bedroom doorway. "I fucking killed you Maura!" She roared angrily before backing away until the back of her legs found her bed. She dropped onto the mattress and pawed at the sudden influx of tears biting her cheek. "I killed you," she breathed.

"Jane," Maura's anger had dissipated the moment she realised her best friend still carried the guilt of her decision with her. She internally chided herself for not remembering this was a possibility. She had known it would be a hard road for the detective, but had allowed herself to be swept up by the rawness of her own romantic feelings.

Jane looked up at Maura who had crossed the room and now stood in front of her. "I know we're not a couple," she sucked in a deep breath, "But Maura, I couldn't just go and… for me that would be cheating. It doesn't matter that I am free to do what I want… I'm just not built that way. You have my heart, I can't… I can't give my body to another."

"I should never have doubted you, but you are free Jane. We're not committed to one another," Maura had to stifle a chuckle as she realised that she couldn't be more wrong. Regardless of the depth they took their physical relationship to they would always be committed to one another emotionally. She sighed, "I have no right to make accusations; I just… you frustrate me so much Jane Rizzoli."

"I frustrate my self," Jane quipped in return as she sniffled and wiped away the tears burning her skin. She dropped her eyes momentarily before looking back up at her friend, "I'm so tired Maura."

"Then sleep," Maura said softly. "I'll see myself out."

"I can't. Nightmares." She offered up sheepishly, knowing that she was pushing the boundaries of their barely functioning friendship. "Would you stay? I mean…" she looked down at the ground and mumbled, "I sleep better when you're here."

Maura considered the request and knew she couldn't deny Jane. She was hurting and clearly exhausted and just the admittance of the nightmares spoke of the desperation the detective was feeling. She sighed and offered up a sad smile, "Is it always going to be this way between us Jane? All these blurred lines…"

Jane shrugged; she was too damn tired to contemplate the reality of their connection. "I dunno."

"I'm just going to wash up and change into something more comfortable," after all it wasn't like she didn't have her own selection of pyjamas and clothes residing in Jane's drawer. She wasn't really tired, as it was only early afternoon, but she would lay down with Jane if that would help her sleep.

"Thanks Maur," Jane whispered as the other woman disappeared with some pyjamas toward the bathroom. She stripped down to her boy shorts and pulled on a BPD t-shirt before crawling under the covers and resting her head on the pillow.

* * *

After several hours of relatively peaceful sleep, snuggled against her best friend, Jane woke from her slumber. She was still exhausted, the emotional and physical toll of the previous month clearly catching up with her.

She rolled away from Maura and onto her back. Staring at the ceiling she whispered, "You awake Maur?"

Maura rolled onto her side so that she was facing the detective. "Yes. I was not really tired."

"Aww shucks, I'm sorry." Jane groaned before shifting onto her side so that she too was looking at her friend. The space between them was minimal, but it felt like miles. She missed Maura so damn much.

"It is quite alright Jane; you clearly needed the sleep. I was happy to help." She offered a soft smile. Despite the constant blurring of lines between them she knew that keeping her distance from Jane was nigh on impossible. While it frustrated her on many levels she was beginning to realise that Jane was the one constant that coloured her life.

"Do you think I could ever be enough for you?" Jane's quiet question fell into the space between them; both women shocked by the words although for differing reasons. "I mean," Jane sighed, "I dunno what I mean. God Maura, why is it so hard?"

Unsure which question to answer first Maura decided to comment based on order of utterance. "You have been more than enough for years Jane; but I would be lying if I were to say that I do not yearn for you to allow me to have all of you." She breached the space between them with her hand, bringing it to rest softly against Jane's cheek. "Why is what so hard?"

Jane's eyes closed instinctively at the warmth radiating from the hand on her face. She exhaled softly, "This. Us. Life."

"I cannot begin to speak on why life is hard, but as for us it really doesn't have to be hard. You know I love you Jane."

"I don't think I would survive if anything happened to you," Jane breathed out as she opened her eyes to see unconditional love reflecting back at her from hazel orbs. "I'm not sure I'm surviving what almost happened to you." It took a lot for Jane to admit that truth; she had thrown herself into work and her own personal hunt for the Catch 22 Killer in an effort to push back the debilitating thoughts that snuck into her brain during lulls of activity.

"Jane," Maura began, concern clearly lacing her tone. "You are not responsible for anything that happened. In fact I would go so far as to say your ability to do the right thing saved my life."

"He watched me Maura. You were only in that situation because of how much you mean to me." She felt the pressure of tears begin to build, "I know logically that you know the risks and that you choose to love me, you even accept that the cost of loving me is that one day I might not come home. But my heart Maura, my heart cannot process the danger loving me brings you and it suffocates me." She closed her eyes and whispered, "I'm suffocating."

Maura couldn't choke back her own tears as she processed the depths her detective was reaching emotionally. It was not like Jane to open herself up to such vulnerability and in some ways it broke her heart. To feel like her love was hurting the Italian. "It's not a choice Jane. Loving you is not a choice; I would only be hypothesising but I believe loving you is written into my deoxyribonucleic acid."

Jane cautiously opened one eye and peered sheepishly at the woman opposite her. "Written into your what now?"

Maura smiled, "DNA. Loving you is written into my DNA."

"Oh," the detective considered this for several moments, "So that's pretty permanent huh?"

"Yes," Maura leaned forward and pressed her lips tenderly against Jane's forehead, lingering for a few moments before pulling back. "Permanent."

Jane turned into the hand still placed squarely on her cheek and kissed it softly several times before returning her gaze to Maura. "I'm hurting you, aren't I?" At the questioning gaze she received in response she elaborated, "Emotionally. Trying to distance myself from you while at the same time asking you to still be my friend; it's hurting you, isn't it?"

"Yes." She didn't choose to elaborate, but she wouldn't lie either. She wanted to embrace the conversation for what it was and allow the detective the space to speak freely and question without fear of reprisal.

"I feel like I've broken us Maur. I hate that I'm hurting you. I hate that I feel so suffocated and terrified and like I'm letting you down." She sighed sadly, "I know that you can't just be my friend anymore Maura. I know that we have reached a point where the only way you can be happy is if I give you all of me or if I withdraw entirely from your life."

The words hit her hard as she found herself withdrawing her hand from the face of the detective. She didn't like where this conversation was suddenly headed. "No," she said weakly before strengthening her voice with a firmer, "No." She refused to entertain the option of her life without Jane Rizzoli. "There is no happiness without you."

"Please Maura, I gotta believe…"

"No," Maura said angrily as she sat up and stared down at the teary dark eyes following her every move. "You do not get to abandon me Jane Rizzoli. You are a vital part of me; there is no living without you Jane, merely existing and that is somewhere I have been before and I cannot go back to that. I refuse."

"You're not safe," Jane tried to reason with her flawed logic but faltered under the glare of her love.

"Bullshit," it was not often she deigned to call the detective out so vulgarly, but Maura knew it was fitting. "I accept you needing time, I accept you being afraid, I accept whatever internal struggle you're having but you must know that I would rather die tomorrow knowing I slept in your arms tonight, than to live fifty years with the broken heart you're so intent on leaving me with."

Jane sat up so that she could more readily meet the dark look thrown her way. "You don't understand what you're asking of me…"

"I'm asking you to love me Jane, is that so hard?" Maura gave an exasperated sigh and climbed off the bed. She grabbed her clothes which she had neatly folded and placed on the dresser. She was done with this conversation.

Jane watched Maura disappear into the bathroom before flopping back down and rolling over onto her stomach. She screamed into her pillow and thumped the bed with her fists before sitting back up and burning a hole in the bathroom door with her eyes. She was hurting Maura; she hated hurting Maura.

She dragged herself out of bed, pulled on some sweatpants and padded over to the en-suite door. She knocked softly, "Maura, I'm sorry."

The door flew open and Maura shook her head in disgust. "I don't want apologies Jane." She slipped past the Italian, but stopped and turned when she felt a hand on her wrist.

Jane met the steady gaze and said, "I'm broken Maura. I suck at relationships. Do you really wanna sign on for that?"

"I just want you Jane."

"Okay," Jane said softly, pulling Maura flush against her front. "You're part of my dexterous acid thingy too." She smiled into the kiss she planted on Maura to cut off the correction.

* * *

 **A/N: Consider this my muses unplanned gift for you. I do not promise not to put more strain on them before its resolved happily, but for now, Rizzles... YAY!**

 **As usual so many thanks to those that read, review, fave and follow. It just makes me feel so good and encourages me to continue entertianing you all.**


	13. Chapter 13

After five minutes of tender exploratory kissing both women pulled away with their thoughts firmly planted on the photographs Maura had brought with her; albeit for different reasons. Maura still had a need for information and Jane was concerned that someone had been watching her. As a result they found themselves back in the living room sitting side by side on the couch. An uninvited awkwardness had sprung up between them as reality pushed back into their minds.

"So…" they both said at once before Jane rolled her eyes and Maura chuckled nervously.

"Someone's watching you." Maura offered.

"I guess you want details." Jane said at almost the same time, prompting her to put up a hand to stop Maura from speaking further. "Yeah, someone is watching me and I have no doubt it's that twisted fucker."

Maura watched as Jane stood and walked over to the kitchen window and looked out onto the street. She rose from the couch and followed as far as the bench that separated the kitchen from the living room. "Jane?"

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary, but damnit Maura this is exactly what I've been worried about." Jane said, turning her body towards Maura. The flash of hurt in the medical examiner's eyes caused her to add, "No I'm not changing my mind about us; I get it okay. It's just…"

"You're scared." Maura finished.

"Yeah I really am." She crossed the distance between them and pulled Maura into her arms, overcome by an intense need to wrap herself around the woman. "We have nothin' on this guy Maur, nothing but theories and now I'm thinking he isn't done with us."

Jane felt incredibly on edge the more she thought about the latest development. Not only had the unknown subject made it known he was still following the detective but had confirmed that Maura was still in his sights; even if she did find it odd he had left photos of her and Cooper with the medical examiner.

"I suspect he is trying to drive us apart," Maura verbalised the thought that Jane was just beginning to wrap her head around. She tucked her head against the detective's chest and melted as close into the other woman as possible. "Something has triggered his continued focus on you." She sighed heavily, realising that she had fallen into an assumption based on Jane's declaration. "Assuming of course that this is the work of the serial killer."

"My gut is telling me it's him," Jane explained.

Before Maura could launch into her usual spiel about intestines and their inability to communicate her phone started ringing. She extricated herself from arms very reluctant to let her go and removed the offending object from her purse. "This is Doctor Isles," she answered.

After ending the call Maura turned back to Jane, "I have to go, there's a body. I'll call you when I'm done."

Jane pouted, hating that she was not on call and not going to be tagging along. "Well I hope it's a boring one." She resisted poking her tongue out childishly, as the overall anxiety of the situation they found themselves in eased momentarily.

Maura held back the smirk that begged to come out. "By which you mean an easy to determine cause of death of the non homicidal variety?"

Jane grinned as she started pushing Maura towards the door, reaching over to snatch her purse up from the coffee table before handing it to the medical examiner. "Something like that. Call me okay?"

"I will." Maura smiled into the chaste farewell kiss she planted on the detective's lips.

Once Maura was gone Jane returned to the couch and dropped down with a huff. She reached over for the photographs and looked through them again, before deciding that she should call Riley with the latest update.

* * *

"Doctor Maura Isles, Chief Medical Examiner." Maura flashed her badge towards the officer maintaining the integrity of the crime scene before ducking under the yellow tape and entering the motel check-in.

"Hey Doc," Detective Korsak greeted kindly; motioning towards the rear of the counter to indicate the location of the body.

Maura offered a courteous smile before sliding around the counter, which stood in the middle of a moderately sized room, behind which the wall held hooks with corresponding room numbers and keys. The interior of the room looked like it had stayed firmly entrenched in the seventies, with brown and orange the main colours of the carpeting and walls.

She pulled some latex gloves from her medical kit bag and sat that down on the counter. She knelt down beside the victim, a Caucasian male of moderate height, with a prominent beer belly and more facial hair than could be found on his balding head. He wore a grey pair of pants held up by suspenders and a sweaty white tank top. The cause of death appeared to be a gunshot wound to the temple, but that would be something she would not confirm until after autopsy.

Korsak shifted uncomfortably as he watched Maura slip on the latex gloves to prevent contamination of the body and begin her initial assessment. "Looks like a .22 calibre, what do you think Doc?"

While the gunshot wound was small and resembled that of a .22 calibre bullet Maura had no intention of making any confirmation until she had performed autopsy. "It is a distinct possibility Detective Korsak, but at this stage I'm loathe to confirm without further investigation." She slipped her hands underneath the victim's head and determined there was no exit wound; the bullet had lodged within the brain.

"I will confirm that this man died within the last two hours, detective. All else will need to wait until after autopsy." She rose, satisfied with her initial assessment and motioned to her staff that she was done with the body. She walked over to the side with Korsak, a sense of unease coursing through her body as her brain caught up with the periphery image input from her arrival. This was the motel Jane had been photographed coming and going from that morning; which meant that this murder could potentially be related and as a result she became very nervous.

Sensing the doctor's distress, Korsak led her away from the scene, out underneath the yellow tape and down the path, inadvertently closer to the cause of her distress. "You alright Doc?"

She frowned, torn between wanting Korsak to have all the facts for the sake of the investigation and protecting Jane from potential embarrassment or trouble. She sighed, realising that for the sake of the investigation she had to be truthful. "Vince," she started with a little trepidation in her voice, "We should check room six; but just you and me."

Korsak's eyes narrowed, "What aren't you telling me Doc?"

She gently shook her head, "I'll explain it all, if necessary. Has the master key been located?"

He grunted in confirmation, disappearing momentarily and returning with gloved hands and the key. "Before we do this, you gotta tell me more, because this isn't exactly very legal without a warrant."

She pursed her lips thoughtfully before pulling her phone out of her pocket and calling Jane. "Jane, that room, you're the legal occupant yes?"

Korsak's eyes went wide when he heard the question. He suddenly got the sense that he didn't want to know what was on the other side of that door.

"We don't have time for your outlandish denials. The day clerk has been found dead and my _spider-sense_ is tingling." Maura couldn't help the smirk Jane's shocked reaction at the correct use of a popular culture term elicited. "It's only Korsak and I… so we have your explicit permission to enter? Yes I think that might be best, see you soon."

"Do I really want to know what Janie has in that room?" Korsak queried worriedly.

"I suspect, based upon Jane's reaction, that the answer to that question is no. She'll be here soon enough, but told us to go ahead and check it out." Maura and the click clacking of her heels on the concrete path led the way to the room in question.

* * *

Maura was pacing worriedly outside the room when Jane arrived, accompanied by Riley. She looked up when she heard them approach and slipped on her professional face. "Jane, I'm not sure you should go in there."

"Why not?" Jane asked warily, more than aware of the worry emanating from the medical examiner.

"It's just," Maura sighed. She was concerned by what they had found and feared the reaction that would be forthcoming. With a small shake of the head she stepped aside allowing Jane and Riley entrance to the room. "Just please stay calm."

That was not at all the reaction she was expecting. Given what had been locked away in the room, she had anticipated a solid talking to from the medical examiner and now found her own anxiety increasing. She stepped inside the room and froze, stumbling forward when Riley bumped into her inadvertently.

Both detectives looked from Korsak who sat on the end of the bed, clearly concerned, to the murder board, which no longer looked anything like what they had left behind. All the photographs and notes had been removed, instead replaced with photographs of people Jane knew.

Jane's eyes trailed from left to right over photographs of Korsak, Cooper, Chang, her brothers, her mother and finally her dark eyes landed on a photograph of Maura. Her fists clenched subconsciously and her teeth ground together as her lips curled into a snarl; a guttural growl escaped her as she read the words scrawled underneath the photographs: _Who's next?_

"Shit," Riley exhaled and shot a sideways glance at Jane. "I think you pissed him off Rizzoli."

Jane turned her head and shot an incredulous look at her partner before sarcastically asking, "Ya think?"

"I guess that explains why he went quiet," Korsak mused, "He's fixated on you Rizzoli."

"Yaaaaaay." Jane drawled sarcastically. She turned on her heel and left the room calling out over her shoulder, "You better call the feds." Outside she grabbed hold of Maura and started dragging her away from the room.

"I can't believe you saw that and thought it was smart to stand around outside the room, in full view of the public." Jane growled angrily.

Maura pulled her arm away from Jane and kept stride with her as they marched towards her Prius. "He's likely already killed someone today and likely more curious about your reaction than to risk exposure." She realised her justification was weak and that she had indeed been taking her life into her own hands if that board was anything to go on.

"Just get in the car Maura," Jane said through gritted teeth.

Once they were in the Prius Maura turned to look at Jane, "I left my medical bag inside."

"In the room?" Jane asked with an exasperated sigh.

"No, with the body."

"Fine, wait here I'll go get it and then we're going back to the station." Jane said as she stepped out of the vehicle and headed towards the motel check-in.

The usual bustle of a crime scene had slowed down with only two CSRU technicians left processing the scene while two uniformed officers kept the scene secure; since no one else was yet aware that this may be the work of the Catch 22 killer. Off to the right she saw Korsak and Cooper exit the motel room, before returning her gaze to the edge of the scene.

"Detective Jane Rizzoli, Victor Eight-Two-Five." She barked at the uniform before starting to duck under the tape. Her progress was halted by the force of an explosion originating from within the check-in area. She and the uniformed officer were sent flying by the shockwave; she landed heavily on her back, her head slamming into the ground. After that it all went black.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, hello I am back with an update for this one. As some of you may have noticed, my muse decided I had to start work on a completely different story _I Will Never Be The Same_ and as such I apologise its been a few days (almost a week?) since the last update for this one. I am still trying to prioritise this one, but the muse is a fickle beast at times.**

 **As usual I am so increidbly thankful to all of you who read, review, fave and follow. You make me wanna keep doing this so thank you.**


	14. Chapter 14

Despite feeling a slight irritation at the way Jane had essentially dictated her actions, Maura couldn't help but follow her with her eyes as she crossed the parking lot towards the crime scene. It was her first nature to automatically seek out Jane in any space they occupied together and this was no exception. Regardless of any ire she may have felt, Jane's presence had a calming influence unlike anything she had experienced in life.

Her guttural cry of, "Jaaaaaaane," pierced the air as she violently threw herself out of the Prius and sprinted, heels and all, towards the detective the instant after the explosion rocked the area.

Riley was the first to reach the detective and uniformed officer, she quickly skirted past Jane to check on the officer as Maura arrived seconds after her and finally Korsak arrived, immediately dropping down to his knees next to the unconscious detective.

Maura was also on her knees as she found the pulse point on Jane's neck and confirmed the presence of said pulse. "Jane," she cooed softly, trying to draw the detective back into consciousness. "Jane, come on, open your eyes."

Korsak was already on the phone calling in the explosion and requesting medical assistance. He clambered to his feet and moved over to Cooper who was rousing the barely conscious uniformed officer, "Can you hear me Callahan?"

Once Officer Callahan appeared to be more alert Riley left him in Korsak's capable hands and turned to look at the front of the check-in which had been blown wide open. Glass doors shattered, brick wall crumbled and the inside of the building was a picture of chaos; the counter no longer existed and the groans of the CSRU technicians could be heard.

"Fuck," Riley breathed as she stepped through the rubble that was the front of the building and knelt down beside the first tech, who's entire front was splintered with wood that she figured must have been the front counter. It was such a mess, she didn't know where to start, the tech was pressurising a particularly gaping wound, but she didn't hold out much hope for the guy.

Further inside she saw the other technician who must have worn the brunt of the explosion, because that was a sight that had her bringing her hand to her mouth as she pushed back the bile. She returned her attention to the technician at her feet, who while bleeding profusely, was still alive. "Doc," she called out, "Need some help in here."

Korsak looked up from the officer he was attending to look for Riley after she had called out. "Cooper what the hell? Get back here. There could be more explosives." He shot a withering look at Maura preventing her from moving forward to help, "Janie would kill me if I let you go in there. Until it is cleared you're staying right there."

While Maura was debating internally whether to argue the point with Korsak, she was rejoined by Riley who just shook her head; apparently it was already too late for the second technician. Beneath her hands Jane dragged herself back into consciousness; "Damn, did anyone get the plates of the truck that hit me?"

Maura's eyes widened in alarm at the words before she noticed the crooked grin on the Italian detective's face; "Jane," she admonished.

Jane attempted to sit up but Maura pressed her down by the shoulders. "Just lie still, you could have spinal damage."

"I feel fine Maura," Jane drawled lazily, clearly feeling the affects of the knock to the head. "Aside from all the aches and pains," she muttered as the sounds of sirens in the distance increased in volume as the ambulance and a new wave of officers responded.

"Just keep your eyes open and on me, okay?" Maura stated calmly, concerned about a potential concussion. She slipped her hand into Jane's and squeezed to keep the detective's attention firmly focused on her. "You're mother is going to be pissed," she said with a smirk.

"Doctor Isles, the language!" Jane feigned shock at the choice of words, the amusement showing in her darkened eyes. Her face paled at the thought of her mother though, "God, Maura please keep Ma away from me when we get to the hospital."

Riley who had been watching on silently couldn't help the snort of laughter those words caused. "Big Bad Rizzoli scared of her mommy?" She teased playfully.

"Tell ya what Coop, next time you're in the hospital I'll send Ma to fuss over you and we'll see how quickly you change…" Jane's voice trailed out as she struggled to find the word she was looking for, the edges of her vision were darkening and God did she just want to close her eyes. Finally she remembered what she was trying to say, "Your tune."

Maura frowned, concerned by the pause in the sentence. "Jane, honey, just keep talking to me okay. Keep your eyes open."

"Oh look, my ride's here." Jane muttered as two EMTs approached the scene.

* * *

He watched the carnage before him with much glee. Sure he could have activated the explosion when there were more people at the scene, but this wasn't about wanton destruction; it was to terrorise Detective Rizzoli and those around her. Besides, he was still deciding which person he was going to remove permanently from the detective's life and he wanted to be able to enjoy that with full satisfaction. Not to watch quietly from across the street.

He had to hand it to Rizzoli for playing into his hands, picking a run down motel in the middle of an area with little to no surveillance. It just made it so easy for him to play his little games; but this was merely a precursor, he had more devastating plans for those closest to the detective.

Assured that he would be lost in the comings of the new wave of responders, he turned on the ignition and pulled into traffic. As he drove he glanced to the passenger seat beside him and smiled smugly at the video camera he had used to record the entire event. He had to admit it felt good watching Rizzoli flying through the air and landing hard. He whistled the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy as he drove away.

* * *

It didn't matter that she had years of experience, dealing with an injured Jane Rizzoli was still one of the most frustrating experiences Maura endured on a semi regular basis. "Jane," she hissed, "You may have been cleared of any spinal injury, but you still have a mild concussion, which means taking it easy!"

"I'll take it easy when I'm dead, Maura." Jane responded gruffly as she jabbed her finger hard at the homicide bullpen floor number. The silence that followed that statement caused the detective to glance sideways at the medical examiner. She exhaled softly, "God, I'm sorry Maur. Not the right time for that kinda comment huh?"

Maura shook her head softly in the negative and clasped her hands firmly in front of herself. There were two new bodies waiting in her morgue, but before she could organise the autopsies they needed to meet with Cavanaugh and the FBI. The fact was she was feeling quietly overcome by the days events; watching an explosion send the woman she loved flying dangerously through the air was not something that sat well with her. Especially when Jane was so obstinate and checked herself out of the hospital once it was confirmed she only suffered from a mild concussion.

"You need to be resting," she said looking up into the dark orbs watching her every move. "So promise me you'll take it easy in there? Don't get too worked up if you don't like what they have to say?"

The elevator doors pinged open, but before stepping off Jane nodded softly and murmured, "I promise." She reached out and took hold of one of Maura's hands and gave it a quick squeeze of reassurance and from there they both headed into the bullpen.

Korsak stepped out of the BRIC when they arrived and smiled grimly, "Jane, Doc, they're waiting for us in the conference room."

Jane and Maura filed in, taking a seat next to each other around a long wooden table. Korsak took a seat near the end of the table; also seated at the table was Lieutenant Cavanaugh, Agent Blake, Agent Mancini, Detective Cooper and two other people that neither Jane nor Maura recognised.

Agent Blake, who sat opposite Jane, welcomed them into the meeting. "Detective Rizzoli, Doctor Isles I'd like to say it was a pleasure to see you again, but considering the circumstances." She watched as Jane shrugged her shoulders and Maura subsequently sent a daggered look at the detective. Blake had to stifle a chuckle, watching those two interact was fast becoming a favourite pastime.

"However before we get started I would like to introduce you to, Doctor Celia Lawrence and Supervisory Special Agent Lance Hopkins. SSA Hopkins is the lead agent for the task force and Doctor Lawrence we have brought in to perform autopsies on the latest victims." Blake explained succinctly.

"Now hold on a minute," Jane growled, standing up and planting her palms down on the table forcefully. "Why the hell would you bring someone else in when you've got one of the very freakin' best at your God damned disposal?"

Maura placed a hand on Jane's forearm and calmly said, "Jane, I would have had to recuse myself anyway." She waited until the detective glanced down at her imploring hazel eyes before continuing. "Doctor Lawrence makes for a better option than Pike or Popov," she turned her attention to where the other doctor sat, "I've read several of your papers on forensic investigation and it is an honour to meet you, Doctor Lawrence."

With Maura effectively deflating her righteous indignation Jane slumped back down into her seat and mumbled, "No offense meant, Doctor Lawrence."

Doctor Lawrence smiled graciously, "None taken Detective," glancing at Maura she added, "The honour is all mine, Doctor Isles. While it is imperative I perform the autopsies myself, I see no problem with allowing you to observe, should you so wish."

Maura didn't even need to look at Jane to know what she was thinking in this instance; with a courteous smile she responded, "I would be more than happy to take you up on that offer, Doctor Lawrence."

"Great, now that's settled we can get down to some further business." All eyes turned to SSA Hopkins when he finally chose to speak up, "Detective Rizzoli, as you appear to be the unsub's primary target and a victim of his actions twice now, I have no choice but to limit your participation in the investigation." He held his hand up to silence the indignant detective before she could interrupt, "If I had my way I would keep you as far from this as possible, but your Lieutenant has successfully argued your value as an investigator. As such we will consult with you and your partner Detective Cooper, but neither of you will be permitted to interview suspects or chase down any physical leads."

Jane sighed heavily, played with the scars on her left palm and bounced her knee up and down forcefully in an attempt to curb her anger. She knew that it was the right call, but she hated the thought of effectively being sidelined when the people she loved were in the sick bastard's sights. She needed to do as much as possible to protect Maura, first and foremost because she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she might just be the true object of his obsession.

"Thank you Sir," she said politely, knowing the pointlessness of arguing.

SSA Hopkins nodded his approval of her acceptance. "And Rizzoli," he said forcefully, "When we catch this guy, and we will, you are not to go anywhere near him. Got it?"

She nodded reluctantly, "Yeah."

"Great," Hopkins beamed cheerily, "I suggest the docs go and do their thing while we discuss today's events."

* * *

 **A/N: Latest update, I hope y'all enjoy. Thanks again to all reading, reviewing, favouriting and following.  
**


	15. Chapter 15

The headache that had started as a niggling tingle had progressed to the point of incessant pounding and Jane knew she was pushing it too hard, but she wasn't yet finished. She winced a little outwardly, partially because of the increase in pain and partially at the thought of how peeved Maura was going to be that she had yet to rest. "Damnit," she growled, cutting off the discussion that had been going on around her. "What are we going to do to ensure the safety of Susie, my family and Maura?"

All eyes turned to the detective. "It's an active threat and while Korsak, Coop, Frankie and I are more than aware of the dangers of our job and can take this threat in stride, we need to do more to protect the other potential targets."

Korsak furrowed his brow in thought before speaking up, "We should put Angela, Tommy, TJ and Lydia in a safe house; or better yet send them outta state."

"Only if we go old school Korsak, I don't want anything in the system on this because I think he's got access and then they'd be sitting ducks." Jane responded while bringing her hands to the side of her head in a fruitless attempt to massage away the pain.

Riley had been silently noting Jane's increased discomfort, but had reached her breaking point. Her partner needed to rest to prevent the exacerbation of her head trauma. "Rizzoli, you need to take a break. Why don't you go down to see the Doc, maybe catch some Z's on her couch? We'll figure out what to do with your family in the mean time."

Jane really wanted to argue the suggestion, but the incessant pounding ensured the stubborn detective accepted her partner's instruction. "Fine," she grumbled, "But I expect a full run down on what we're gonna do; because God help me if anything happens to my family, no God damned FBI is gonna stop me strangling the bastard." She pushed back from her chair forcefully, stood, stared down everyone in the room pointedly and stormed out.

"Well, she certainly knows how to make an exit," SSA Hopkins observed dryly.

Korsak couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. "Oh that was nothin'. Trust me you don't wanna be around when Hurricane Jane is at full force."

Agent Mancini quirked an eyebrow at the Detective Sergeant; "Personally I find Doctor Isles more intimidating."

Agent Blake chortled loudly, "That's because you're still tryin' to find your balls after she so efficiently removed them weeks ago."

Mancini glared at his partner before focusing on Korsak. "So Rizzoli reckons he has access to the BPD system? We should follow up on that, perhaps there's something he left behind we can trace him with."

"It would be worth getting some cyber experts in because he has exhibited an intimate knowledge of Jane's motivators that he could have only obtained from BPD reports." Riley responded, keeping in mind the discussion she'd shared with Jane in the early hours of what had fast become a very long day. She was feeling incredibly appreciative for the few hours shut eye she had managed at Jane's insistence, before everything exploded in their faces (quite literally).

"I know just who to call," Mancini said with a grin. He didn't often have reason to make this call, but when he did it just brightened his day. Sure he could call in the FBI's Boston cyber techies, but that just wasn't as much fun.

He pulled out his phone called the number for Washington's cyber queen and put his phone on speaker. Crisp, vibrant bouncy word's echoed through the room, " _You have reached your friendly neighbourhood oracle of all things knowable and unknowable. Speak now or forever hold your peace._ "

"Garcia, you're on speaker." Mancini warned, knowing that it wouldn't do a damned thing to quell the vibrancy of Miss Penelope Garcia.

" _Well if it isn't Agent Mancini, my Italian Stallion… what can I do you for?_ "

Korsak and Cooper looked at Agent Mancini with wide eyes. He simply shrugged and grinned harder. "Need you to poke around the Boston Police Department's system, find out who has been mining it for info."

 _"_ _I can do that, say is this for that case with the serial killer targeting cops? 'Cause I heard Morgan and Reid discussing it earlier; potential BAU consult?"_

"Yeah, but we got this covered for now. I'd be much obliged if you could give me a call back when you find something."

" _Will do sugar lips, font of all knowledge signing out."_ And just like that she was gone.

Riley smirked, "Is she always that…"

"Flirtatious? Yeah and that was nothing, you should hear her and Agent Morgan from the BAU when they get going." Mancini shook his head at the memory of several conversations that made him uncomfortable being in the same state for, yet alone the same room.

Korsak shook his head with a silly grin, "I'm glad Rizzoli wasn't here for that…"

"Why not? It would have been hilarious watching her squirm in her seat being all uncomfortable with the open flirtation zinging around the room." Riley grinned, she just had to get Rizzoli and Garcia on the phone together if it was the last thing she did.

"Alright, enough chit chat, we need to work out what we're doing to protect the Rizzolis, Senior Criminalist Chang and Doctor Isles." SSA Hopkins ended the levity in the room with the heavy reminder that there was still a lot of work to be done.

* * *

"So, Detective Rizzoli seems quite protective of you," Doctor Lawrence observed, while her eyes glanced thoroughly over the corpse of CSRU Technician Carlos Benitez as she conducted the external examination. She catalogued the extent of the injuries to his torso caused by debris from the explosion while waiting to see if her fellow doctor would respond.

Maura was finding it difficult to be in the same room as the corpse of one of her colleagues. The entire situation had become incredibly unpredictable with seemingly anybody a target as the serial killer veered from his original pattern. She absently played with the ring on her finger as the statement made by Doctor Lawrence sunk in.

She couldn't help the involuntary smile that crossed her face at the thought, because yes, Jane was very protective and that protectiveness enveloped her like a warm blanket of safety. She reminded herself to remain professional, smoothed her features, not that Doctor Lawrence was looking, and stated, "Yes she can be."

"I was warned that she could be…" Celia paused to scrutinise the corpse further and find a delicate way of stating the things she had heard.

Maura smiled again and this time didn't stop herself as she interjected with words she would use to describe the fiery Italian. "Obstinate, obnoxious, fierce, sarcastic, strong, intelligent…"

Celia chuckled, "And here I was going to call her a ball buster."

From the doorway between Maura's office and the autopsy room Jane could just hear Maura's brain stumble over the idiom and begin to form an objection, so she intervened. "It's two words that sum me up a little less eloquently but a lot more succinctly than you just attempted, Maur."

Maura's smile grew wider as she turned to see Jane, but then faded when the pain she was in was clearly written on her face. She turned back to Celia and said, "If you'll excuse me, Detective Rizzoli is nursing a concussion and apparently hasn't been taking it easy."

Celia smiled to herself and nodded as she said, "Certainly."

Jane sighed heavily and turned back into the office, walking over and sitting down on the couch, where she waited for Maura to join her. "I am taking it easy, I'm down here to try and rest." She offered up her most placating smile before welcoming the doctor into her arms for a hug.

Maura couldn't help her need to feel Jane, the day had been draining and having lost two colleagues on top of the concern she felt for the woman whom she now clung to dearly – she needed the physical connection. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a bomb blew up in my face." She tilted Maura's face up and away from her chest so that she could make eye contact, "I know, I know… but right now my sense of humour is the only thing keeping me sane."

Maura could see the fear buried in the detective's eyes so simply nodded her acceptance of the poor attempt at humour and pressed her face back against her chest. The steady rhythm of Jane's heartbeat eased some of the tension that had built up over the course of the day. "I was so scared," she admitted quietly.

Jane felt her chest tighten and her throat choke with emotion. She hated feeling vulnerable, and right now she felt incredibly vulnerable and out of her depth. Maura was her only tether to reality, without her she knew she would unravel quickly. It pained her so much to know that once again she had gotten hurt in the line of duty (on her day off no less) and the fear that caused the medical examiner. She pressed her lips tenderly against golden curls and breathed in the fruity scent of her love's shampoo.

Finally she admitted, "I'm petrified. This is quickly escalating out of control and instead of just coming after me, he is targeting all the people I love. I should be up there trying to help work this out, but my head is pounding and I just needed to see you. I needed to know you were safe."

Maura understood that this was a level of emotional honesty that Jane struggled to achieve and it simultaneously made her heart ache and warmth spread throughout her body. She hurt because this strong woman was reaching a precarious vulnerability and yet she had never felt more loved; the trust of Jane Rizzoli was the most valuable gift she could bestow.

Maura sat up so that she could make eye contact with Jane. "We will figure this out and we will catch him." She supposed her statements could be considered nothing more than wishful thinking and very presumptive, but she knew that Detective Jane Rizzoli would prevail; it was her nature.

Jane reached out and brought the doctor's hands into her own and held them on top of her lap, needing the comfort they provided. She forced a smile and fought against the nagging voice in the back of her head telling her she had finally met her match. Maura believed in her and that was all that mattered. "I really wanna sleep for a bit Maur." It was easier to keep her thoughts to herself, "So I'm guessing you'll be waking me up in half an hour to make sure I still know what day it is; Saturday, by the way."

Maura leaned in and kissed her detective tenderly before pulling back and smiling softly. "I really should get you home, you need proper rest."

Jane sighed, "I know, but I also need to know the feds are gonna keep Ma and Tommy safe. So, nap, concussion test, check in upstairs and then home, okay?"

Maura nodded softly and stood up, watching as Jane let her hands drop before shifting her body to curl up on the couch. She leant down and kissed the Italian's forehead before heading back towards autopsy. She paused in the doorway and looked back at Jane, who watched her retreat closely. She looked back over at the FBI Pathologist before turning to look at Jane again; she really didn't want to observe the autopsies, it was incredibly difficult given that she worked with the victims.

Jane, sensing Maura's hesitation, spoke up. "Don't put yourself through it for me Maura. If you trust Lawrence, then I will too." The tears that she saw glistening across the room from her told Jane she had made the right call.

Jane's words made it easier for Maura to do what she needed to do. She walked into the room and spoke briefly with Doctor Lawrence, explaining that she was just too close to it and that she trusted her implicitly and would appreciate seeing the full report, but that she would be returning to her office.

When she returned to her office she couldn't help the warm smile that graced her lips at the sight of her detective sleeping. She sat down at her desk to work on some unrelated reports until it was time to wake Jane and run through the concussion test.

* * *

 **A/N: So, I couldn't help myself... I just had to have me a little Penelope Garcia goodness ;) As usual many thanks for your feedback and reads and I hope you continue to enjoy.**


	16. Chapter 16

He had to admit that Detective Rizzoli was an excellent detective and her own investigation into finding a way to identify him had indeed born some fruit, but to say that he was not prepared for that happenstance would have been erroneous. Still, he knew after discovering her research that it was time to amp up the pressure on the detective. He intended to break her and the explosion at the motel was just phase one in stage two of his plan.

The one thing he found he struggled with was understanding the depth of the relationship she shared with Doctor Isles. From what he had witnessed via the video feed and from what he had read in the reports written by the BPD psychiatrist he determined Rizzoli would run from her feelings. So why the hell was it she and Doctor Isles kept gravitating back to one another?

While he hadn't really expected the photographs of Rizzoli and Cooper to create too much drama, he hadn't anticipated it bringing them closer together. He had watched the old footage of Jane apologising for her hurtful actions and the subsequent conversation that resulted in a fracturing of their friendship and he had hated every minute of it. Sure nothing was going to stop him breaking her, but Doctor Isles deserved more than the detective was offering and it pissed him off. He was enraptured with the doctor, he realised this and it frustrated him to no end; especially now that the two women had repaired their relationship.

His leg bounced angrily against the bottom of the desk as he watched live footage of Doctor Isles' home. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, tears streaming down her face while she watched the detective sleep. The emotional release wasn't surprising to him in the least, he had learned a lot about her too. She could be as guarded as Rizzoli, except it appeared to him that she held herself together around others out of a sense of duty. For instance right now if the detective woke he knew she would wipe the tears away before addressing her and in some ways that broke his heart.

He navigated away from the live feed and brought up the photographs of two potential targets. He had narrowed his choice down and while he had initially considered targeting someone closer to Doctor Isles in an attempt to alienate the women again, he had come to the conclusion that that just wouldn't work. Isles simply loved Rizzoli too damn much for anyone but Rizzoli to destroy what they shared.

He had also decided he didn't have the patience to go the slow path and target direct members of her family; sure it would cause immense damage to Rizzoli, but he needed to target someone whose death would stir up old memories, hurt in the now and make her question her decision making process. He needed to target a cop.

He smiled as he made his decision; it was a no brainer really. Detective Riley Cooper had to die and she had to die in front of Rizzoli while she was incapable of doing anything to stop it. He chuckled to himself as he started to formulate the method of execution.

With that decision settled he had one more thing left to do. It was crass, would destroy his unadulterated access into Doctor Isles' life and he would definitely have to change locations, but he needed to throw everyone off kilter, not just Rizzoli. Part of him felt a little unsettled about the next step, but only because it would draw the vultures to Doctor Isles like a zombie to brains. He compiled an email, attached several photographs plus an edited video and addressed numerous newspapers and television networks that operated within the area; some he knew wouldn't run the story, but at least one of them would inevitably find it too damn juicy not to.

He flicked back to the live feed and located Doctor Isles curled up on the couch downstairs with a glass of wine and a medical journal; the detective was still asleep in her room. He sighed wistfully before navigating back to the email and pressing send. Once he was sure the email had completed sending he grabbed his tablet, phone and camera equipment, lugged them out to his car before returning and setting up the booby trap that would erase the hard drives permanently once the authorities found the place. It was time to leave.

* * *

Maura returned downstairs from yet another concussion check, which had left the restless detective acting obnoxious as ever. She sighed as she poured herself a second glass of wine; she knew Jane was stressed and over tired, but the attitude she held when woken up was getting the better of the doctor. She would endure because the risks of allowing Jane to sleep through the night without monitoring for changed concussion symptoms were just too high.

Sure Jane was likely to be perfectly fine, but the number of times she had obtained concussions during the course of duty weighed heavily on Maura; after all the statistics on sustaining multiple head traumas did not paint a pretty picture. No head trauma should be taken lightly, even if it meant putting up with a grumpy, obnoxious detective. She didn't think she would be getting much sleep this night and it hadn't even hit ten pm. It was the end of a very long, emotionally draining day.

Maura carried the wine over to the couch, placing it down on the coffee table before picking up the New England Journal of Medicine she was reading through and getting herself comfortable once more. She was half way through a fascinating article on the trial of early goal-directed resuscitation for septic shock when her phone rang. She reached over for the phone and answered, without paying attention to who was calling, as she continued to skim through the article in front of her. "This is Doctor Isles."

" _Maura, it's Ryan. I hope I'm not disturbing you._ "

She placed a marker between the pages and sat the journal down, intent on paying attention to the call now that she knew who it was. She smiled, "No not at all. How are you Ryan?"

" _I'm very well, thank you for asking. I am sorry for calling so late, but I was just running through the figures from the fundraiser and I realised I hadn't called to see how things were going for you with your detective._ "

Maura chuckled lightly at his segue, "You are not one to beat around the tree are you?" His laughter rang out down the connection.

" _No I'm not, and it's bush Maura… I am not one to beat around the bush. So, do tell me, have things improved?_ "

She chalked up yet another learned idiom in her mental catalogue before answering his question. "It's complicated Ryan, but progress has definitely been made." She knew better than to announce the relationship without first discussing it with Jane, although she did not believe Ryan would be the sort to gossip she knew exactly how the detective would react.

" _As long as you're happy Maura. Say, would you like to get together some time this week to discuss further joint ventures between my mother's memorial charity and the Isles Foundation?_ "

Maura couldn't help but smile wider, she loved that he was capable of just moving on to the next topic of business without lingering too long on something that had the potential to make her uncomfortable. It wasn't something she was used to finding in a person not named Jane Rizzoli. "I would love to Ryan, but at this stage I cannot commit, simply because of the state of affairs in my life at the moment. I would love to take a raincheck on the offer though, if that is alright with you of course?"

" _Absolutely I completely understand. You have my number should circumstances change. Perhaps you and Jane could join me for dinner one night; I would love to meet the woman who has you so enraptured, Maura."_

"You know that is a wonderful idea, I'll have to check with Jane, but perhaps you would like to join us here for dinner once I confirm a suitable evening?" He was being so polite and friendly and she really didn't want to let the situation with the serial killer and his threats prevent her from living her life and further developing a friendship.

" _Wonderful… Oh my, Maura are you near a television?_ "

"Yes, why?" Something about his tone caused her to reach for the remote control and turn the television on.

 _"Switch to WCVB-TV, channel 20._ "

Maura did as directed and dropped the phone, "Oh no."

* * *

Riley had reached her breaking point for the evening, she knew that Jane's family was safe as Korsak had driven them to a safe house a couple of hours away that the FBI had set up, the number of people that were in the loop was minimal and it was kept out of either system. This had been her primary concern after speaking with Rizzoli earlier in the evening and forcing her to accept Doctor Isles order to go home and rest. Rizzoli was with Doctor Isles, which meant for the time being she was safe. Senior Criminalist Chang had been warned and Frankie had volunteered to keep an eye on her as the young woman refused to be scared away from her duty.

She had spent the better part of the evening discussing what she had learned from Rizzoli with the feds and they were still waiting on a call back from the _Cyber Goddess_ (as Mancini called her), which nobody anticipated until morning now. All in all it was the perfect time to go home and get some shut eye, if off course she could shut her mind down.

"Hey Detective Cooper, did you know?" Officer Tierney asked as she passed him in the lobby.

Riley stopped and turned to look at the sheepish looking officer. "Know what?" She was too tired for this, but she would humour the situation.

"About Rizzoli?"

Her brain snapped awake at the question, "What about her?"

"Oh shit you haven't seen the news have you?" Riley stared at him, clearly puzzled. "Get to a TV set and switch to channel 20."

With everything that was going on this information gave her a bad feeling. Turning around she retreated back to the bullpen and ducked into the break room, where she switched on the tiny TV that hung in one corner. She navigated through the stations until she found the one she was told to check out. She waited agitatedly through the adverts before the news broadcast switched back on and the previous items scrolled across the bottom of the screen. At first she couldn't believe what she read, but then the news anchor returned to what was clearly the biggest story in Boston that night.

"Well fuck," she muttered in shock before whipping out her phone and calling her partner.

" _T_ _his better be fucking good Cooper._ "

"Get to a TV, now!" She listened as her partner grumbled and stomped downstairs.

" _You have got to be fucking kidding me…"_

"My thoughts exactly partner. I'm already on my way to see the feds, I think they're still here and if they're not, I'm calling them in. This is seriously fucked up."

" _I'm gonna kill the bastard..._ "

* * *

 **A/N: Dear oh dear... You know the drill, many thanks and do tell me your thoughts... oh and hold on, the ride is about to get rocky.**


	17. Chapter 17

There was always one, Maura Isles noted angrily as she finished conversing with her legal team. There was always one member of the media willing to push the boundaries of the law and in this case the secret recording of her and Jane breached Massachusetts wiretapping laws. Beyond that, there was always one member of the media that enjoyed the sensationalism that came with outing public figures in compromising positions.

Yes indeed, Doctor Maura Isles Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and daughter of Constance and Doctor Arthur Isles was a public figure. Yes indeed, she had been outed in a compromising position, but it wasn't as if she hadn't been used to the media scrutiny given her biological relation to one of Boston's infamous mob bosses; this however, was different. This was personal, cheap and downright infuriating. This affected Jane.

Jane, who was sitting on the couch with her face buried in her hands while members of the FBI scoured her home for hidden cameras and audio devices. Jane, who had paled significantly after her initial anger at the video footage aired for the consumption of the general public. Jane, who looked downright defeated. Maura really couldn't blame Jane for feeling that way, her fears about their relationship being made public via media scrutiny had been realised in the most blatant of ways.

The station airing the video footage had ceased doing so under threat of legal action, but the damage had clearly been done and it would be front page news in the morning papers. Maura had two choices in this situation, hold a press conference within the hour to get ahead of the morning papers in the hopes of painting the situation in a more favourable light, or wait until morning and allow the evening editions to sell the spin that she would put on the situation. It was regrettable that she even had to make such a decision, but she was a public figure, and an almost sex tape, needed responding to. Of course then there was the hurdle that was Jane; she was not going to like the idea of Maura parading herself in front of the press to defend their private relationship.

"It's a fucking madhouse out there," Riley grumbled in greeting as she walked into the living area, followed closely by agents Mancini and Blake.

Maura frowned at Jane's partner, "Detective Cooper, please refrain from using such language in my home." She afforded a small smile to indicate that she meant nothing more than to maintain a modicum of control in the chaos that had erupted around them. She turned her gaze to the FBI agents and nodded, "Agent Blake, Agent Mancini, may I offer you something to drink?"

The two agents politely shook their head, before Blake spoke up. "No thank you Doctor Isles, we're just here to follow up with the team and their search." She couldn't help but feel for Rizzoli and Isles in this situation; under threat from a psychopath and now their most private of moments publicised. It definitely changed her assessment of the situation, this killer wasn't looking to just kill Detective Rizzoli; he was looking to absolutely destroy her.

The sudden sound of glass shattering drew the attention of everybody in the room towards Jane, who was now staring at the broken glass shattered against the wall. "This is fucking shit," she roared before storming out of the house, with Riley right on her tail.

"I've got this Doc," Riley called over her shoulder as she chased after her emotional partner in an effort to grab her before she ran into the wall of press cordoned off half way down the block.

Maura watched the two detectives disappear and shook her head, this situation was getting out of control and her head was ready to explode from a stress headache. She smiled weakly at the FBI agents, "Please let me know when my home has been cleared of surveillance equipment."

* * *

Outside Jane came to a stop at the end of the drive and stared down the block at the vultures gathered to pick over the corpse of her relationship. She supposed Maura would be incredibly pissed to think she was considering their relationship as dead, but she didn't know how she was supposed to maintain a relationship with a woman the press would continue to hound now that they had a story. "This is a fucking mess Coop," she muttered sadly.

Riley stood next to her partner and dragged her eyes over her dishevelled appearance. Rizzoli was wearing BPD sweatpants and a Red Sox t-shirt; her unruly curls were haphazardly falling down around her face. As for her features they bordered somewhere between defeat and absolute utter desolation. "I know it's a mess Rizzoli, but don't let this ruin what you got with Isles. Don't let him win."

Jane sighed and allowed all her insecurities to pour forth. "What if it isn't down to me this time Coop? What if Maura runs huh? I mean who could blame her? Her life is falling to pieces around her and it's all because of me. Why the hell is she gonna wanna stay with me after this huh?"

"She's not gonna run Jane." Riley sighed, the whole situation was bringing her partner undone, and it was frightening to witness. Rizzoli was not the sort to open up like this; sure they had chatted at the Dirty Robber about some stuff, but this was different - this was weakness. Jane Rizzoli didn't show weakness. The fact that she was now was more than enough evidence for Riley to interpret.

Glancing up the street towards the perimeter that BPD had set up to protect Doctor Isles from a complete media onslaught she could see cameras aimed in their direction. She huffed out a breath and took Jane by the arm, "Come back inside, don't give the vultures anymore fodder okay?"

Reluctantly Jane allowed Riley to lead her back to the front porch, but she refused to go inside. "I just can't," she muttered.

Riley sighed; at least she had gotten Rizzoli out of the prying view of press cameras. "Just talk to her Jane, don't pull your usual bullshit okay?"

Seemingly out of nowhere Jane started laughing as the reality of the latest mess she found herself in hit full force. She was now the inadvertent star of a sex tape. Sure the laughter was the release of pent up tension and in no way represented her true feelings, but she had to admit that nobody could have ever seen this one coming.

Riley was surprised by the sudden shift in mood; "What's so funny?"

Jane shook her head as the laughter died down, "I have my own God damned sex tape and I got to make it with the most beautiful woman in Boston."

Riley shook her head and playfully punched her partner's shoulder. "That's the spirit Rizzoli!"

"Oh crap," She was suddenly hit with an incredibly sobering thought, "I hope to God Ma didn't see that!"

It was Riley's turn to laugh as she was struck with the vision of an animated Angela Rizzoli berating her daughter for not disclosing her relationship with Maura and then for managing to get their private business all over the news. Mustering up her best Boston Italian accent she tried to imitate Angela, "Oh Janie, how could you put poor Maura in that situation? You should know better!"

Jane slugged her partner in the shoulder, a lot harder than the playful punch she had received just before. "Don't do that. You sound too much like her."

"At least it got a smile out of you Rizzoli, now come on let's go talk to Maura and figure out the shit we need to do about this." She was exhausted, but she had shown up because she had known that this news cycle was going to be hell on her partner. She had diffused some of the anger and self loathing, but she knew with Doctor Isles' standing in society, that there was going to be more press involvement before it was over and that was what needed working out, whether Jane liked it or not.

* * *

It is often stated that there are only two absolutes in life, death and taxes, however there was one more absolute given in the world; if there was a hint of scandal, the press would not give in until they had their fill. This was something that Maura Isles knew all too well and that was why just after midnight she found herself facing a throng of reporters half a block away from her home. They wanted their sound bites and quotes and after an hour long discussion that almost bordered on a bloody battle with Jane and the FBI, Maura Isles was ready to face the press.

She was dressed simply in black pants and a crimson blouse, her hair pulled back into a messy bun. She was too tired and too angry to go to much more effort for the sharks that smelled blood in the water. Besides, she had an almost sex tape out there now, her presentation at midnight for an impromptu press release was the least of anyone's concerns.

Agent Mancini had offered to escort Maura to and from the media throng out of respect and at the insistence of Detective Rizzoli. He was a little surprised at her refusal to go with Maura, but then it hadn't fazed the doctor at all and he put it down to yet another idiosyncrasy between the pair. As long as someone was with Maura to protect her from potential threats then the detective was just fine with the song and dance, but she definitely wasn't going to participate herself. He stood two steps behind her and watched the woman go to work.

Countless questions had been hurled incessantly from the moment the pair had appeared, but Maura put her hand up to quieten them and the questions died out it into a low murmur. She stood tall and faced the throng head on, "I am here to make a statement in regards the invasion of my privacy aired by WCVB-TV. I will not be answering questions and once I have made my statement I ask that you kindly disperse so as to not further disturb my neighbours."

Cameras flashed and light poured onto her thanks to the preparedness of several television networks; there was no doubting that she could be clearly seen and that her message would be clearly heard.

"Earlier this evening I was appalled to discover that someone had been illegally, without my knowledge or consent, recording footage from within my home. Furthermore this individual saw fit to release this footage to the press, and while many stations upheld the law of the state of Massachusetts, some poor decisions were made for the sake of sensationalism. My legal team will be addressing this in the coming days."

Maura made sure to take the time to meet different sections of the media throng head on. "I accept that as a public figure there will be more attention placed on what happens in my life; however I draw the line at the invasion of my privacy and the privacy of those people close to me. Detective Rizzoli and I would have preferred to have had a choice in when we made announcements regarding the depth of our relationship. Unfortunately due to the deceit of an unknown individual this has been taken out of our hands. All I can ask is for an acceptance of our need for privacy at this time. Thank you."

"Why isn't Detective Rizzoli out here with you Doctor Isles?" One of the reporters had the gall to fire off a question and found himself being stared down by the fiercest look he had ever seen from a professional.

Maura located the reporter who had dared to ask the question, glared at him, but deigned to answer the question. "As some of you may well be aware, Detective Rizzoli was injured during an explosion less than twelve hours ago. She has suffered minor head trauma and as a result is required to be resting. Facing off with the media does not fall under that category."

With her words cutting the air viciously she cast a glance around the throng once before turning on her heel and walking back towards her home. There was plenty more she would have liked to have said, but for the sake of the current investigation she erred on the side of caution. That said, heaven help any member of the press that even thought about harassing Jane; Maura would crush them like the insignificant invertebrates they were.

* * *

 **A/N: A necessay chapter in my mind for realism... the one thing I think the show itself lacks, is recognition of the press attention that Maura would get, as both and Isles and the Chief ME. Their world has just been rocked by scandal... so I felt the need to include some of the immediate aftermath before we move along further. This guy has it in for Jane, and boy does he know how to cause trouble... but the tide might be about to turn...**

 **Anyways, as usual all my thanks to those that read and review.**


	18. Chapter 18

The smell of coffee brewing woke Riley and after an internal debate about leaving the confines of what had to be the most comfortable bed she had ever slept in, she finally rolled out of the guest bed and into the guest shower to freshen up. Maura had insisted that she stay the night in the guest room given the fact she was a walking accident waiting to happen and Riley had to admit she was grateful.

The shower pressure was perfect and Riley suddenly understood why Rizzoli spent so much time at Maura's even before their relationship changed. It was just so damn comfortable. She slipped on a fresh BPD shirt that Jane had thrown at her the night before, pulled on her jeans and wandered out to the kitchen in search of that delicious coffee aroma.

Maura slipped a mug of black coffee in front of her and motioned towards the sugar and a small jug of milk sitting nearby on the kitchen island. "I wasn't sure how you had your coffee, so please help yourself to sugar and milk."

Riley breathed in the delicious aroma before adding a touch of milk and smiling broadly over at her host. "Thanks Doc." She didn't know if it was because of the long day previously, the overall comfort factor or if it just was, but Riley was of a firm opinion about the coffee. Simply put: Best. Coffee. Ever.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Maura asked politely, ever the hostess. Besides it being her nature, she had recognised the voice of reason Riley had played the night before when Jane was working herself up over the fact the press needed to be addressed and wanted to show her appreciation.

"It's fine; I can grab something on the way into the station." Riley said with a residual yawn escaping, she suspected she may yet need to sleep for an entire week to get over the excitement of the previous twenty four hours.

"Oh don't be silly, it's no trouble." Maura tutted as she walked over to the fridge to pull out some eggs and other fresh ingredients. "How does an omelette sound?"

"Honestly?" Riley grinned sheepishly, feeling her stomach growl its approval, "Sounds great."

"Then that's settled, I'll make you some breakfast."

There really wasn't any arguing with Maura when she had her mind set anyway, which was something Riley had learned within five minutes of being around her with Jane. She chuckled to herself as she realised how whipped Rizzoli had been even two years ago when they had first met. With a smile she asked, "So I have to know Doc, how well trained is Rizzoli?"

Maura turned from where she was cracking the eggs and studied Riley thoughtfully before breaking out into a knowing smile at the realisation of what the detective meant. "She's coming along nicely," she offered with a wink before turning back to the breakfast preparations.

Riley laughed, "Oh Doc, you know you've had her whipped for years right?"

While she didn't turn around, the smug look on Maura's face was still there when she stated matter-of-factly, "Yes."

Riley sipped at her coffee some more and hid her smile behind the mug. She really liked these two women, especially now that it seemed the ice between her and Maura had thawed. Her thoughts drifted back to the night before and caused her to frown, the fact was Jane was still incredibly sensitive about the relationship and likely to do something boneheaded. She sighed and said, "Jane's scared, Doc. It would go a long way if you would reassure her you're not going anywhere."

"Why would I be going somewhere?" Maura asked innocently, not quite grasping the information she was being given.

"She's blaming herself for what happened last night. I think she feels like she's ruining your life and you're gonna suddenly decide she's not worth your time and affection." Riley knew she was entirely dead if Jane walked in on this conversation, but she knew someone had to ground the woman in reality and Maura was the only one capable of that when she was so high strung.

Maura chuckled humourlessly, "Last night was unfortunate, but it is hardly Jane's fault. My parents may not be happy and yes damage control will be required, but I most certainly will not be allowing events out of our control dictate the future of our relationship."

"Of course you wouldn't Doc, I wouldn't be saying anything to you if I thought you would be like that. Jane would be pissed if she knew I said something, but I'm worried about her and she's my partner, it's my job to have her back."

Maura turned around and studied the detective closely, seeing nothing but sincerity in the face staring back at her she nodded. "I admit I'm worried too, but she'll get through this. She's fortunate to have you as partner, Detective Cooper. I'm happy to see that you are looking out for her well being."

"I think by this point you should be calling me Riley or Coop, Doc. No more of this formal rubbish." Riley smirked, "After all I'm pretty much going to be a third wheel in your relationship, Jane will be spending as much time with me as she does you if not more some weeks. Nature of the beast."

"Remind me to ask Cavanaugh for a new partner," Jane quipped as she padded into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Do I smell coffee?"

Riley shook her head and laughed at her partner. "Rizzoli, nobody else would put up with your stubborn ass, you're stuck with me."

"Well I'm sure if you asked nicely Jane, Cavanaugh would team you up with Detective Crowe." Maura deadpanned, before breaking out into a giddy grin when Riley almost spat out some of her coffee in amusement.

"That's it I'm breaking up with you." Jane said with a straight face, turning on her heel, pretending to leave the kitchen.

Riley raised an eyebrow at her partner, before looking over at Maura and throwing her a wink. "Alright Rizzoli, I guess that means you won't mind if I pack my U-Haul up and move in then?" She had to put her coffee down and jump away from the flying hand that intended to clip her around the ear.

Maura didn't pay any attention to Jane and her theatrics; instead she slipped an omelette in front of Riley and smiled conspiratorially, "Detectives do appear to be my type…"

"Hey!" Jane cried out, eyeing Maura suspiciously. "One detective is your type… not detectives plural."

Maura batted her eyelashes innocently, "But you just broke up with me, detective!"

"Mauraaaaaa," Jane whined as she stalked back into the kitchen and wrapped the shorter woman up from behind. "You know I was just playin'," she whispered into the doctor's ear.

"Sit down Jane so that I can feed you." Maura said softly, smiling when the detective did as she was told.

Riley feigned a cough and barked, "Whipped!"

Jane glanced over at her partner and shrugged. "Have you seen my girlfriend? You'd be whipped too."

The ringing of Maura's cell phone quickly stilled the atmosphere in the room. "This is Doctor Isles. Hello Susie, oh it has? There is? Wonderful thank you, and thank Doctor Lawrence for asking you to notify me. Yes I'll see you later, goodbye Susie."

Maura turned to face the two detectives who were both levelling her with _please explain_ faces. "That was Susie, ballistics are back on the bullet that killed the motel clerk. The weapon was fired in self defence during a home break-in last year and as such we have a name and address for the gun's owner."

"Finally!" Jane said with tempered enthusiasm, it was a lead, granted one she was forbidden from following up but it was something nonetheless.

"Lucky break that the body was removed before the explosion," Riley observed.

"Sometimes all you need is a little luck." Jane responded.

"And science," Maura chided, but quite pleased to see that the news had reinvigorated both detectives. "I told Susie I would see her later today, I intend to go in and review the autopsy reports with Doctor Lawrence. Jane you really should stay home and rest…"

"No way Maura, Coop and I have to be there to keep the feds in line." Jane said determinedly, glancing sideways at her partner, imploring her to agree.

Riley looked between the disapproving look Maura was wearing and the pleading look her partner was throwing her way and sighed. "Damnit Rizzoli, just when I was getting along with your better half," she shot an apologetic look at Maura, "We probably should head to the station, but I'll make sure she takes it easy."

Maura's face slipped into a look of pure incredulity, "Good luck with that, detective." Turning to look directly at Jane she said, "You're still recovering from a concussion. Don't make me have to worry about you all day."

"I'll take it easy, promise!" Jane said before disappearing up the stairs to get ready.

"She'll never really be fully trained," Maura said wistfully as she set about getting Jane a coffee to go and putting together a healthy lunch for the detective to take with her.

* * *

" _Great news my lovelies,_ " FBI Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia's voice reverberated around the room. " _As instructed I tapped into the BPD system to trace any hacks and to my surprise I couldn't find anything, so I decided to look into authorised access._ "

"What did you find Garcia?" Agent Mancini voiced the thoughts of everyone in the conference room.

" _The programs used by BPD are designed and maintained by Leiland Software and Technology and it appears an analyst, Eric Haynes, accessed the personal files of several members of the department including Detective Rizzoli. I've already texted you his address Agent Hot Stuff._ "

Riley chuckled and elbowed Jane who was just staring at Agent Mancini's phone, which sat on the table. "Really?" Jane asked incredulously, "Agent Hot Stuff?"

" _Ooooh be still my beating heart, pray tell, who's the owner of that delicious voice?_ "

Mancini and Cooper burst out into hysterical laughter at the face that Jane pulled. Grabbing onto the table in front of her for support Cooper calmed herself down and said, "Oh that's just BPD's version of the Italian Stallion, Detective Jane Rizzoli."

Jane elbowed her partner and shot her a dirty look, "What the actual hell Cooper?"

" _Well Detective Jane Rizzoli, you sound so yummy I could just eat you up._ " The sound of another person entering the room filtered through the speakers before Garcia returned, " _Duty calls my lovelies, Garcia out._ "

Riley slapped the table several times in her excitement. "Oh my God, your face Rizzoli!"

Jane quirked an eyebrow in response; "Garcia is…" Words failed the detective as she shook her head and chuckled at the entire situation. "But, seriously, Italian Stallion Coop?"

"Oh that's right you weren't here yesterday when Garcia called Agent Mancini by that name…"

Jane looked Mancini up and down before choking back the desire to scoff. "Okaaaaaay, moving along… the name that Garcia gave us matches the owner of the gun used to kill the motel clerk."

Agent Blake who had chosen to sit back and just enjoy the show finally entered the fray, "We're just waiting on a warrant, but shouldn't be too difficult to get one now."

Mancini could tell that both Rizzoli and Cooper were frustrated with the status quo of their being benched from actual field work. "Look guys, I know you wanna come along, but it's just not worth messing up the case. However once we pick this guy up I won't have any problem with allowing you to view the interview."

Riley shot a look at Jane reminding her to accept the way things had to be before nodding at Mancini and saying, "Thanks, we appreciate that."

Jane's phone beeped with a message, she pulled it out of her pocket hoping maybe Maura had something more for them but frowned when she realised it was from a number she didn't know.

 _Call me some time Detective Delicious ;)_

"Really?" Jane just shook her head and laughed, "That Garcia is sure somethin' alright."

Sensing that the text message was worth looking at Riley snatched the phone from her partner's hand and read it out loud, "Call me some time Detective Delicious..." Riley cracked a cheesy grin and held the phone away from Jane who was leaning into her to get the phone back. "Does Doc Isles know you're such a stud with the ladies, Rizzoli?"

Jane merely growled her displeasure when she finally yanked the phone away from her partner. "Shut it Cooper," she muttered as she moved towards the door, "I'm gonna go see if Doctor Lawrence has anything else useful for us."

Riley chuckled at Jane's hasty retreat before returning her attention to the two FBI agents who were looking a little befuddled at the behaviour. Straightening up and taking on a more serious tone to her voice she said, "Rizzoli is taking this stuff hard, I'm only teasing her to keep her head in the game. She'll get stuck in that head of hers if I don't, and whether you believe it or not, you're gonna need Rizzoli to figure all this out!"

* * *

 **A/N: Consider this a nice little bright eyed bushy tailed, semi fluffy chapter of joy, ahead of the serious road we're about to hit... As usual all my thansk to thsoe reading and reviewing, I'm only writing this for y'all... it is an honour to provide some entertainment.**


	19. Chapter 19

It was just after eight o'clock in the evening when the FBI taskforce called a meeting with the members of BPD assisting with the investigation into the Catch 22 Killer. The key federal investigators in SSA Hopkins, Agent Blake, Agent Mancini and Doctor Lawrence were all present, as were Detective Sergeant Korsak, Detective Cooper and Doctor Isles; however the absence of Detective Rizzoli was rather conspicuous.

Agent Blake raised a querying eyebrow at Riley and Maura when she addressed them with her concern. "Where is Detective Rizzoli?"

Riley shifted uncomfortably in her seat as all eyes including Maura's fell on her. She heaved a sigh, "She's uh… getting some air." Riley didn't feel particularly comfortable being examined by the entire room, but the only eyes that concerned her were the piercing hazel ones staring her down from further along the table.

Maura honed in on the hesitation in Riley's answer and the glaringly obvious discomfort on her face. "Detective Cooper, where is Jane?" She asked firmly, not at all convinced by the original answer.

If the situation wasn't so potentially explosive she would almost be amused at how she had indeed become the third wheel in Jane and Maura's relationship like she had inferred that morning. Obviously Maura was in the dark to Jane's whereabouts and that just heaped a whole new level of stress on Riley who grimaced under the pressure.

She pushed her chair back and brought her hands behind her head and exhaled loudly, processing the best way to proceed before dropping her hands into her lap and shaking her head. "Rizzoli didn't feel it prudent to be here, she uh… she thinks we're barking up the wrong tree and she didn't want to lose her temper and show disrespect."

SSA Hopkins frowned not at all impressed with this news, "Rizzoli does realise that it is a favour to her that we are even including her in this right? This absence is disrespectful to say the least."

Riley shrugged; she had tried to tell Jane that very same thing, but her partner was so incredibly frustrated with the day's events that she had been pulsating with rage. Rage that Riley realised was channelled to hide the fear at the reality of the situation. Realistically she should have stayed with Jane, shouldn't have let her out of her sight, but one of them needed to attend the meeting. Glancing at the concerned look of the medical examiner she started doubting her decision.

Maura rose from her position at the table, "If you'll excuse me a moment I'll call Detective Rizzoli and ask her to join us." She blatantly ignored the small shake of the head that Riley had thrown her way as she stepped out of the room into the hall.

Riley watched Maura leave the room and close the door behind her before returning her gaze to the FBI agents sitting across from her. "She's not going to answer the Doc's call. She's not going to answer anybody's call and honestly, I don't know exactly where she went." She felt ashamed about that, but then again, not a living soul could make Jane Rizzoli reveal information she didn't wish to share, not even Maura Isles.

Agent Blake could read body language better than most and the combination of what she was seeing from Cooper and her words she had concerns for the mental state of the absent detective. The last thing the case needed was for Rizzoli to be going off half cocked. "What mental state was Detective Rizzoli in when you last spoke to her?"

Korsak had been paying quiet attention to what was happening in the room and he too had concerns for his former partner. "Cooper," just saying her name was enough for him to convey the need for full disclosure immediately.

Glancing towards the door, wanting to get this out before Maura returned Riley caved and admitted, "Honestly I think she's just gone to get drunk somewhere. The way today's search ended has left her feeling defeated and I can't say I blame her."

"You're supposed to be keeping an eye on her Cooper." Korsak said firmly, curbing the pangs of anger he felt that the younger detective had just let Jane walk out of the precinct alone.

"Oh for fuck's sake Korsak, nobody can make Rizzoli do anything she doesn't want to do. She didn't want company and there was nothing I could do to convince her otherwise!" Riley rose to her feet and stormed out of the room angrily.

Maura's head snapped around at the fast retreating form of Detective Cooper. Tucking her phone back in her pocket she called after her, "Riley, what the hell is going on?"

Riley sighed in defeat, stopped and turned around to face the suspicious eyes of the medical examiner. "God, Doc you know what Jane is like. She just needs some space right now to process and unwind."

"She's not answering her phone."

"She doesn't want to talk to anyone Maura," it wasn't often she ever called Doctor Isles by her first name, but she felt like the situation warranted it. Assessing the hurt that flashed across the doctor's eyes as she processed the information only served to frustrate Riley more. She hated this whole God awful situation. Her partner was pushing everyone away and she was stuck in the God damned middle. "Just let her come to you in her own time."

Maura was having none of that. "No, Riley you listen to me. Find her, you hear me? She is not safe out there on her own and if it weren't for the fact that I know how stubborn she is I would be angry with you for letting her out of your sight. Instead I am just going to plead with you to find her and bring her home to me safely. Please."

Riley nodded solemnly; she knew she had to do what she should have done in the first place. Find Rizzoli and talk some sense into her before she unravelled completely. "Yeah Doc, I'm gonna do just that." She paused for a moment before turning to start her search, "Can you just soak in all the information the feds share? You know she's gonna wanna hear it later."

Maura nodded firmly, "Of course. Thank you, Riley." She watched the Latina detective head in the direction of the elevators before closing her eyes and channelling her Doctor Isles facade; the FBI didn't need to be faced with a concerned girlfriend, they needed the professional.

* * *

Before leaving the precinct, Riley had the idea to check with BPD's tech expert Nina Holiday to see if she could track Jane and was pleased to discover that a simple app on their phones acted like a GPS and as long as it was switched on the location would be easy to obtain. Nina had tracked Jane to a bar several blocks in the opposite direction of the Dirty Robber. Riley was grateful that her partner had at least stuck close to the station, even if she had clearly chosen to avoid the usual haunt.

Riley also made a mental note to mention that app to Agent Mancini and ask him to have Garcia follow up to see if that was being tapped into by the unsub to track them at all. Feeling a little paranoid she switched her phone off as she walked into the warm summer air and set out on foot to the location Nina had given her.

* * *

Curiosity had overtaken Nina after she tracked Detective Rizzoli for Detective Cooper and she did some searching within the system to see if anyone else had been tracking BPD detectives. She found that a system analyst had tracked Detective Rizzoli on several occasions in the past two months. She tried to back trace the locations of these attempts but didn't have much luck. With an exasperated sigh she realised that this sort of tracing was beyond her pay grade and decided to take the information she had to the FBI taskforce.

She knocked sharply on the door and waited until being asked to enter before pushing her way inside the room. She almost withered under the intense look from SSA Hopkins but nodded to the room and spoke up. "Detective Cooper asked me for my assistance in tracking Detective Rizzoli and it prompted an important memory. The BPD has an app installed on all detectives' cell phones that acts as a GPS so that in an emergency we can track their location quickly. After tracking down Rizzoli, it occurred to me to see if anybody else has been using the system and I discovered that a system analyst has been tracking Rizzoli from time to time over the last two months. Unfortunately I have been unable to trace a location, but figured I should bring it to your attention so that an FBI analyst can follow the lead."

Agent Mancini had his phone out and was already calling Garcia before Nina finished her speech. He accepted the tablet with the app information she handed him and waved her away as he waited for the Washington based tech analyst to answer. "Garcia," he said anxiously, "I need you to look into the BPD system again, this time focus on access to a GPS tracking system on the cell phones of the detectives. We think this is how our unsub is keeping tabs on Rizzoli's whereabouts."

* * *

Riley was only a couple of blocks away from her destination when she started feeling incredibly anxious. Her senses went onto high alert as she felt like she was being watched. She surreptitiously looked around but couldn't find anything out of place in the street, lit up by the street lamps as Boston was enveloped by the darkness of night. She pulled her jacket closer to her body as a cool breeze picked up. The sounds of vehicles driving by reminded her that life was going on and that she was just being paranoid; she was a well trained police officer, she just needed to remain alert.

"Harden up Cooper," she muttered to herself as she crossed the last intersection ahead of the bar where she hoped to find Rizzoli. She paused for a moment, taking a more obvious look around her surroundings, including back over her shoulder. She was alone in the street, further down the block the sound of the jukebox filtered out of the bar and she grinned as Blondie hit her ears, "… _one way or another I'm gonna find ya, I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha…_ "

"Yeah," she muttered as she started walking again, "Whoever you are you sorry son of a bitch, we're gonna get ya."

She never saw him coming.

* * *

It was fast turning into an absolutely shit forty eight hours for Jane as the realisation that even after everything they thought they had uncovered they still had nothing. Eric Haynes was nothing but a fall guy, it all tied so neatly to him, a missing person, that she was convinced of his innocence and likely demise. She had argued with Cooper because of the frustration and even though she knew it was a stupid risk she just had to be alone.

So Jane did what Jane does best, she pushed her partner away and made her promise not to tell Maura anything, she just needed time to unwind and process and find an equilibrium again. Because damn if she didn't feel completely fucking off kilter. It was bad enough that she had to duck away from a few members of the press that had been hanging around BPD in the hopes of cornering her or Maura on their little outing via sex tape. Yeah that was bad enough, but there was that pesky serial killer that pretty much made everything pale in comparison. That pesky serial killer that wanted the people she cared most about dead.

Jane sat at the bar nursing only her second beer in the last hour and a half; it was more the feeling she needed than the buzz, besides she knew Maura would kill her if she drank as much as she wanted to. It would be so easy to just forget for a night but that wasn't the smart thing to do. So she sat, and she nursed and she tripped over her thoughts. She ignored calls from Maura and Korsak, determined to have her space.

Tiring of the bland music blaring out of the jukebox she wandered over to it and pushed in several quarters. She flicked through the selections before settling on some classics from the 80s. John Cougar Mellencamp sang the story of _Jack and Diane_ as she made her way back to the bar and ordered her third drink.

She contemplated the failure of a search from earlier that day when the FBI had inadvertently set off a booby trap that wiped the hard drives of the computers at the Haynes apartment. They had found the weapon used to kill the motel clerk, but it had been wiped clean. In fact the whole apartment had been wiped clean, the only traces anyone found were latex particulates. Gloves, the occupant had been wearing gloves and come on as if the owner of the equipment would feel the need to do that. Combined with his not having shown up to work in weeks, well it was so damned obvious he was a patsy and now Jane just felt like hitting something. Back to square freakin' one.

Blondie had just started blaring out of the jukebox when Jane's phone rang again. With annoyance she glanced down at the display only to grin a little when she recognised the number of her new best friend. She answered the call, "I have a girlfriend you know."

" _Sorry Detective Delicious, no time for flirting. Has Detective Cooper arrived at your destination yet?_ "

"No, what the hell's goin' on?" Jane felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as her gut started filling in the blanks before Garcia could.

" _The unsub has been tracking both you and Cooper via your cell phones. Cooper has switched hers off, but I think she's being followed and she's headed your way, you need to be careful Jane… He's out there!_ "

"Thanks Garcia." Jane ended the call, unbuttoned her holster and stepped outside the establishment. She looked left and then right and that's when she saw her partner pulled into an alley. A guttural yell of, "Cooper," escaped her lips as she pulled out her Glock and sprinted towards the end of the block. Towards Cooper. Towards the unsub.

* * *

 **A/N: As Scooby Doo would say, Ruh Roh... You know I wanna hear your thoughts after this chapter! Thanks as always to all of you beautiful people for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting. I am enjoying writing this story for you immensely.**


	20. Chapter 20

Blood.

It was the life force that pulsated in her ears as she pushed her body to its limits; feet striking the pavement rapidly as she urged her body forward desperately. It was the rapid beating of her heart threatening to push right on out of her heaving chest as she sucked in the oxygen her blood circulated to vital organs. It was everything and as she rounded the corner into the alley…

It was everywhere.

The normally infallible Detective Jane Rizzoli blanched at the sight of her partner clutching at stab wounds; blood pooled alarmingly quickly underneath her and between clutched fingers. In the distance she heard the fading pounding of feet on the ground and even though she jerked her head away from Riley momentarily, with gun drawn, she knew he was long gone.

Her heartbeat drowned her as she holstered her gun, pulled out her phone and fell to her knees next to the fallen woman. She dialled automatically as her eyes began the assessment of the damage; the coppery smell assaulted her when she put pressure on an abdominal wound. She barked at the 911 operator demanding a bus, authority in her voice wavered as the tears bit at her face, "God damn officer down."

Darkened eyes met light brown fading fast and she dropped her phone, bringing her free hand to Riley's cheek and rasping out a plea, "Stay with me damnit."

The sirens were already filtering through the suddenly still night, part of her brain told her that Garcia must have already called in the troops, but the most cognisant part was focused on her partner. The one person she was supposed to protect; it was her damn job. You always had your partner's back. _Fuck!_

"Rizz…" she coughed through a chest spasm and she could taste the copper in her mouth, she was done for and she knew it. He fucking got her, but she thanked God for small mercies. She wasn't going to die alone. She reached out with her closest hand and gripped Rizzoli's arm firmly, holding on as if her life depended on it. "Not… your fault."

Jane grabbed the hand clutching at her and placed it firmly back over a wound, "Keep pressure on it damnit. You are not giving up on me Coop, you hear me?" She could hardly see straight through the tears and she knew the ache in her chest could only be worse if it was Maura bleeding out beneath her hands. As it was the ache was pretty fucking heavy and oppressive; she felt the lump in her throat and God if only she had stayed at the station. This was her fault.

"So… c-c-cold…" Riley felt the blackness closing in and she welcomed it, anything to put a stop to the pain. She coughed again, more blood, wheezing, breaths hard to make. Darkness closed in as the red and blue lights of the responders illuminated the alley. "C-c-catch the bast…"

"Ssshh, just breathe. I'm right here partner, it's gonna be okay." Jane tried to reassure, but it was futile. So God damned futile. A soul wrenching scream escaped her as the light faded completely from the light brown eyes fixated on hers.

Blood.

It painted her hands red. It painted her shirt red. It painted her pants red. So much God damned blood and she couldn't do a thing to stop it. She failed her partner.

Someone pulled her away from Riley, pulled her back, rescuing her from the blood; but it was everywhere. Her tears dried up and a shudder shot its way down her spine; she focused on the grip on her arms and turned to look over her shoulder. There was no comfort there, just some uniformed officer pulling her away from the body, because that's what she was now. Detective Riley Cooper was nothing more than a corpse and nothing the EMTs could do would change that.

She shrugged out of the officer's grasp, crawled over to the side of the building, pulled her knees into her chest and wrapped her arms around them tightly. She buried her face in her knees and sobbed violently. She had just lost her second partner in the space of eighteen months, but this time it was on her. This time it was her fault and this time, she knew there was no coming back.

* * *

He was a master manipulator, he knew this. It was part of the territory in his line of work and it had proven to be such an excellent skill when it came to his new hobby of killing and terrorising. In this instance he had manipulated people as easily as he manipulated binary code, but even he couldn't have planned with such perfection the demise of Detective Cooper. Rizzoli had made it so incredibly easy for him and while he had a new loose end to eradicate, it provided him with yet another diversion.

Technology was a wonderful thing, especially those Go Pro cameras, which his loose end had so kindly worn while he gutted Detective Cooper. He could have done it himself, of course, but why take unnecessary risks when people were always willing to do anything for money? Besides, he had no doubt that the silly fool would have left DNA behind, and that only served his purposes. It was time to fall off the radar and simply enjoy the self destruction of Jane Rizzoli.

There was naturally one more dastardly thing he needed to do and it was risky given that he was now using his own network, but he trusted his cyber counter measures and had a loop of re-routing happening that should keep any cyber snoop busy for months. He grinned sardonically as he realised that he was making decisions partially to contribute to the further destruction of Rizzoli's psyche and partially to challenge that FBI cyber analyst who had been digging through his handiwork. He knew his hubris could be his undoing, but he really didn't care.

His eyes skirted the screen rapidly as his fingers tapped away at the keyboard, finally satisfied he uploaded the Go Pro footage to the world wide web and even took the time to deliver a message to the FBI analyst. She wanted to play in his world, he would show her exactly how destructive and impossible to trace he could be.

* * *

"What are you still doing here Pen?" Agent Jennifer Jareau asked curiously as she strolled into the technological lair of Penelope Garcia.

"Boston," Garcia muttered distractedly as she tapped furiously away at her keyboard. "It's just awful JJ; my poor babies are suffering terribly."

JJ stood behind her friend and searched the screens in front of her, watching as Garcia rapidly sifted through data and video footage. "You've grown attached quickly, even for you Pen."

"Oh sweets, if you only knew these people you would understand." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as a message icon flashed up on her screen. Curiosity getting the better of her she opened the message and found a link to an online video, while the message attached taunted: _Too little, too late my dear._

"Oh no he didn't," Garcia mumbled as she set her system to attempt a trace on the message before clicking on the video link.

Garcia and Jareau watched in horror as the video showed the vicious murder of Detective Riley Cooper. The perpetrator thrust his knife into her back then reached around and thrust several times into the chest and abdomen, before dropping the woman to run. He reached the end of an alley and turned to look back momentarily, capturing the desolation in Detective Rizzoli's body language.

"No, no, no…" Garcia felt her lip quiver at the sight and she knew tears weren't far away. She downloaded the video and proceeded to set about shutting down the site it was on, nobody else should have the opportunity to view the video. Using the power of the networks she had access to, Garcia started a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack to buy time ahead of an official shut down of the website. She chewed her lip and focused on the tracing determined to track the evil bastard down if it was the last thing she did.

She then called Agent Mancini, "Victor, we have a problem."

* * *

The atmosphere at BPD Headquarters was extremely tense and subdued as news filtered through to the night shift that one of their own had lost her life. The evening bustle had quietened to a bare murmur as officers at the precinct allowed the harsh reality to settle in. Cooper was one of the more personable detectives and having worked with Narcotics and Homicide, had many friends on the force.

Lieutenant Cavanaugh had returned to headquarters upon being notified of the news and he joined Nina in the BRIC, along with Agent Mancini, who was coordinating from there, while Agent Blake and SSA Hopkins had joined Doctor Lawrence and Doctor Isles at the scene. On one screen the unusually subdued Penelope Garcia sat quietly waiting for further instruction (albeit continuing her attempts to trace the origins of the message), while on the main screen the footage she had been sent played out in excruciatingly painful high definition.

Cavanaugh's eye twitched and his hands clenched as his anger boiled over forcing him to storm out of the BPD techno hub. He stalked down the hall and slipped into his office and sent the paperwork on his desk flying in a fit of rage. He had brought Cooper back, he had told Korsak to get her to keep an eye on Rizzoli and now she was dead. The only thing he knew for sure was that he would put a bullet in the head of the prick if he ever laid his hands on him. Enough was enough.

Nina sat quietly, tapping away at her keys, working in tandem with Garcia now that she had been brought in on the investigation (by virtue of her discovery). The footage caused an ache in the pit of her stomach because of the guilt she felt for her part in the circumstances leading up to the ambush. She had only known Cooper for the week she had been back in Homicide, but it was long enough to know a solid detective had been lost and that her passing had the potential to send Rizzoli off the deep end. All she could do now was whatever Garcia suggested she do in an attempt to track the killer down.

Mancini's face hardened exponentially and his fist landed heavily against the desk he was sitting behind. "Please tell me you can track this asshole Garcia," he ground out through his teeth, struggling to hold back his anger at the entire situation. He felt like he had dropped the ball on the investigation and now a good cop was dead and her partner, God her partner; he shuddered to think what was racing through the mind of Jane Rizzoli.

" _I'm trying, but he's good. It's an intricate web of deceit he has weaved, but I won't stop until I find something we can use_." Garcia responded, her usual flirtation absent due to the seriousness of the situation.

Recognising that the situation he had pulled her into was causing the usually effervescent woman distress, he softened his features and offered her a reassuring smile. "I know, and I have faith in you. Thanks G."

* * *

When the call had come through requesting a medical examiner for a downed officer Maura had naturally felt her cortisol levels increase to pave the way for the production of epinephrine and norepinephrine, which increased her heart rate and blood pressure. In layman's terms, her heart was racing and her anxiety peaked, which barely subsided once the information filtered through that Cooper was deceased. Her fear for Jane's physical safety simply switched gears to a fear for her psychological well being.

She rode with Doctor Lawrence who would once again be running point on the evidence gathering and subsequent autopsy. Maura was incredibly thankful that the FBI had brought in one of their top pathologists, because the thought of allowing Pike or Popov near the corpse of Detective Cooper sent unpleasant tingles down her spine. Doctor Lawrence had already exhibited her professionalism with the extremely thorough reports she had written for the deceased CSRU techs and the motel clerk; not to mention the reverence she had held each victim during the physical process of examination.

When she arrived at the scene she automatically scanned the area to locate Jane; her eyes fell on an EMT hunched down next to an all too familiar lanky body with wild dark curls falling down in front of her face. The click clack of her heels on the pavement signalled her approach, before she finally came to a stop in front of the detective.

Maura instantly noticed the blood that had caked to Jane's hands and the stains in her clothing. The thought of Jane helplessly kneeled next to Riley trying to stem the blood flow brought back her own vivid memories of a different time where she had been the one with her hand pressed to a bleeding Jane Rizzoli. She knelt down in front of the detective and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Jane?"

The EMT who was familiar with both women simply shook his head when he turned his attention on the medical examiner. "She ain't communicating Doc. I've taken her vitals and they all appear steady, she doesn't appear to be in shock. At least not physically…" he trailed off realising he didn't need to voice his concerns about the detective's mental state.

"Jane?" Maura prodded firmly, but when Jane continued to stare past her and failed to acknowledge her presence she frowned thoughtfully. Glancing at the EMT she said, "She needs to be assessed, I'll help you get her to the ambulance."

A sense of uneasiness settled over Maura as she watched the EMT strap Jane into the ambulance, because when she did come out of her catatonic state she was going to be angry to find out that she had been shuffled off to the hospital for a psychological consult. Maura knew enough to know that Jane was going to feel betrayed, but there was no way known she was going to risk the mental health of her beloved. She would handle the stubborn, petulant, childish Jane Rizzoli happily, if that meant no permanent psychological damage had occurred.

Maura notified SSA Hopkins of Jane's state of health and advised that she would be accompanying the detective to Massachusetts General. She climbed into the ambulance and took her seat before reaching out and taking hold of Jane's left hand, which she clung to for the entire journey.

In the back of her mind she battled the thought that eventually even the strongest people broke, and Jane looked like she had reached her breaking point. After Hoyt, after Marino, after Frost, after losing the baby… losing Riley too, might just be one trauma too many to come back from. Yes, without a doubt, Maura Isles was quite fearful for the mental and emotional well being of Jane Rizzoli.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for any broken hearts, I broke mine too with this chapter. The thing is, in life, sometimes the bad guys win and well, this time the bad guy won... and yeah I'd be worried for Jane right about now too... but I promised a happy ending for our girls, so while they will get there... it's a hard road.  
**

 **As usual all my thanks for those reading, reviewing, following and favouriting.**


	21. Chapter 21

It quickly became apparent to Maura and the rostered psychiatrist, Doctor Greenburg, that Jane was not going to come out of her catatonic state on her own. She failed to respond to stimuli and continued to look right through them. As a result Doctor Greenburg injected Jane with a two milligram dose of Lorazepam intramuscularly in an effort to bring the detective back to reality. In general it would take approximately half an hour to take affect, so Maura chose to use that time to make some necessary phone calls.

The first call she made was to Frankie to let him know what was happening with Jane and that she had concerns, but that it would be best to stay away for the time being. She promised to keep him informed in an effort to placate his desire to drop everything and rush to the hospital. He reluctantly agreed when she explained that Jane was not going to want to be seen in the state she was in; he knew Maura knew his sister better than anybody. They both agreed that they shouldn't break protocol to contact Angela; her safety remained paramount.

The second call was to Korsak to update him on the situation and to advise that Jane was definitely in no state to give a statement regarding the horrendous events from earlier that night. She let him know that she would call him as soon as Jane was well enough to give her statement; from there he could pass that information along to the FBI.

Done with the two calls of the utmost importance she found she still had time up her sleeve before the medication would take affect. Twenty minutes where there was nothing else for Maura to do for Jane's benefit and that was twenty minutes too long. She had to take a seat in the waiting room because her legs simply wouldn't support her any longer as her body finally gave in to the guilt and grief she felt for Riley.

Logically she knew that there were a multitude of factors that culminated in Riley's death, most important of all being the existence of the psychopath running the show, but she found herself questioning her own role. She had demanded Riley retrieve Jane and that was the direct impact she had had on the events. What if she had simply trusted Jane to look after herself? What if she had let it be when Riley told her to? Would Jane ever forgive her when she found out her role in it all? Maura shook her head softly in an attempt to push the thoughts away

 _I do not deal in what ifs; I deal in facts, in logic, in science. This was a convergence of numerous actions that led to a terrible tragedy. Hold it together!_

Maura focused on her breathing, calming down enough to maintain her professional exterior, knowing that if the emotions escaped she wouldn't be putting herself back together for a while. Jane needed her; she didn't have time to wallow in guilt and self pity. Riley's loss hurt and it was horrendous, but Jane had to remain the focus. Jane was her entire world.

She glanced at her watch and decided enough time had passed; she met up with Doctor Greenburg outside of Jane's room (which Maura had insisted upon for privacy, using all the clout being an Isles, provided) and he led her inside. She hovered out of the way, allowing the psychiatrist space to do his job; she dare not interfere, she was only allowed in the room as a favour.

"Detective?" Doctor Greenburg enquired softly, frowning when she didn't openly respond. She was lucid again, this much he could tell as she lost her rigidity of position and was staring at her bloodied hands. "Jane?" He tried again.

Her eyes snapped to attention, locking onto his curious blue orbs, before her gaze fell back to her hands. "What happened?" She asked quietly, clearly disturbed by the blood staining her hands, and her clothing.

"I was hoping you may be able to tell me," he prodded softly, analysing the way her brows furrowed in clear concentration before her features crumpled, agitation and sadness warring one another.

"I don't know," Jane glanced furtively around the room, taking in her surroundings, recognising the disinfectant smell, the basic decor and the bed she was sitting on. She recognised that she was in a hospital room, but she didn't know the doctor that was clearly assessing her every action.

Her eyes fell on Maura, who was standing further back closer to the door, hands clasped firmly in front; eyes also clearly assessing. Jane heaved a sigh, returned her gaze to Doctor Greenburg and said, "Where's Ma?"

Alarm bells were sounding in Maura's mind before the question even hit the air. When their eyes had locked briefly it had been clear that Jane did not recognise her at all and it took everything she had not to break down into an inconsolable mess. She knew that she had to keep it together so that she could help Jane work through her diagnosis, whatever that may be. Her mind was instantly flashing towards dissociative amnesia; she hoped she was wrong and that the fog would clear.

Remaining as calm as possible Maura cleared her throat and said, "Angela is out of town Jane, do you recall?"

Jane just felt more confused, clearly this woman knew her mother, but she wasn't at all familiar and it was frustrating. Furthermore she really wanted to wash her hands; the blood was freaking her out. She shrugged in an attempt to hide her discomfort, "I guess. Can I clean up before you guys poke around my brain any further?"

Greenburg nodded, "Certainly, I'll have a nurse bring you a gown and a bag to put your clothes in. We'll be right back." He motioned for Maura to follow him, which she did with only a momentary hesitation and sad look in Jane's direction.

"Try not to panic Doctor Isles; we will get to the bottom of this. Yes there appears to be some memory loss, but there's nothing to say it is permanent. I would like to have a full physical assessment done, just to rule out any physical causes."

Maura felt deflated, "She did not recognise me Doctor Greenburg and I have been her best friend for more than five years; we met through work. She didn't react to her title of detective. The trauma she has endured in her life has been directly tied to her role as a police officer…" she trailed out, realising she was ready to jump down the what if path again.

 _What if this last trauma was too much and her mind has chosen to shut it all down? What if she never remembers me again? What if she never learns to love me again?_

He nodded grimly; understanding where her thoughts were headed. "Let me finish my assessment first, before we get ahead of ourselves. Dissociative amnesia can be recovered from, should that be what we are dealing with here." He offered a comforting hand on her forearm before turning to find a nurse to take Jane a gown and to find another doctor to focus on the physical examination needs.

She watched him go about organising the necessary tests and sighed heavily. She couldn't do this alone; she pulled out her phone and called Frankie, as much for her own sake as for Jane. Because to Maura, even though she knew her thinking was flawed and hyperbolic, Jane's failure to recognise her felt like her entire world had fractured violently.

* * *

The mood at BPD Headquarters remained incredibly sombre, and by Monday afternoon news of Detective Rizzoli's health had run the gossip gauntlet, only adding to what had turned into a very dark period for the Boston Police. The reception that the FBI received on arrival each day, which had been mild at best before the death of Cooper, had turned downright chilly. Whether it was fair or not, the FBI had been in charge of the investigation and had taken it nowhere useful and as a result another of Boston's finest had lost her life; it was enough to raise the hackles of many an officer.

"I dunno why we even bothered showing up here today," Agent Mancini grumbled as he took a seat in the conference room; his irritation at the looks and snide comments that had circled his arrival abundantly clear.

"Because this is a joint taskforce and while the BPD members are absent, with good reason, we need to maintain an open relationship with the locals." SSA Hopkins responded curtly.

Mancini sighed and his shoulders dropped, his indignation made way for his despondence at the lack of real progress and the loss of life. "Yeah, I'm just… it's hard being around these people when I feel like I dropped the ball, ya know?"

Hopkins, while understanding of his agent's feelings, levelled a stern stare, "While you may feel that way, don't say that in front of the locals. We're going to look at what we know, starting from scratch and we _are_ going to catch this unsub."

Agent Blake nodded at Hopkins, before launching into the facts as she knew them, taking the time to point out different evidence and information tacked to the wall where relevant. "The unsub presents as extremely intelligent, technologically advanced and methodical. He has shown a propensity towards the use of explosives, with the one death attributed to the use of a .22 calibre pistol and last nights stabbing of Detective Cooper showing deviation from his methodology."

"Everything shifted after Rizzoli beat his game," Mancini observed, his eyes following Blake closely. "His fixation has made him bolder, made his attacks more personal. Previously he preferred to distance himself from the carnage, using his technological know how to watch from afar."

Blake nodded as she looked at her superior Hopkins. "Mancini is right, even the explosion at the motel was more personal. We discovered a remote detonator, and suspect the unsub chose when to activate the explosion."

SSA Hopkins furrowed his brow in thought at the latest information that had been brought to his attention. "If he detonated that explosion at the motel did he misjudge his timing and thus miss his target in Rizzoli?"

Blake shifted through a file on the desk and tossed over copies of the photographs that had been found in the motel room Jane had been renting. "I'm of the belief it was detonated as intended. The unsub has moved from a sick game, which whether we like it or not was based on a set of twisted values, to what I can only see as an attempt to completely annihilate the psyche of Detective Rizzoli. He is targeting those around her, I suspect with the same goal as his initial killings…"

"He wants Rizzoli to end her own life." Mancini finished for his partner somewhat solemnly. "The unsub derives sick pleasure from the torment. Releasing footage he recorded in Doctor Isles home of a private moment; recording the death of Cooper and uploading it to the Internet… it's all geared towards building stress and anxiety in the most devastating ways possible."

"The question is," Hopkins mused, "Is he targeting Rizzoli because she beat his game? Or is there something else we're missing?"

"It's hard to tell, but I suspect that something happened, perhaps that he captured when watching Doctor Isles. If this was just a planned escalation for any of his targets who completed his initial challenge I would imagine he wouldn't have blown his cover. With the evidence that led to Eric Haynes, which appears to be a frame job, he has given up one of his fail safes." Blake observed, having spent hours re-examining the evidence the night before.

"Still he was prepared enough to ensure we got nothing from the computers," Mancini objected despondently. "I hate to say it, but at this stage unless the unsub makes a monumental cock up, we have nothing."

"There's the DNA that we're running from under Cooper's fingernails," Blake countered, not enjoying her partner's defeatism.

"That whole killing just rubs me the wrong way. It was too personal, too messy, I don't think it was the unsub himself. Probably hired someone," Mancini mused out loud, "Which means his body will probably show up in the next couple of days. This unsub is so meticulous, his only obvious mistake is challenging Garcia the way he has. She still hasn't had any luck tracking him, but she's one of the best and I can only hope she succeeds."

Nobody in the room dared voice their concern that it never took Garcia this long to trace someone who had so blatantly challenged her in the past. He was more than good; he was exceptional when it came to the world of computers.

"So what else do we have with regards to this guy?" SSA Hopkins asked to break the silence the room had fallen into.

"Well there's Rizzoli's theory that he has or had a close relationship with a police officer, which holds some water, but until we have something substantial to go on it is hard to narrow it down. A lot of cops and ex cops floating around this city." Blake said, pulling out a seat and sitting down at the table with her colleagues. "Something triggered his killings, I suspect a death in the family, but there are still too many deceased cops and ex-cops in the past months to narrow it down far enough."

"That's assuming he is from Boston, and not just plying his new trade here out of convenience." Mancini added with frustration.

"Alright, well let's start by digging into the backgrounds of the employees at Leiland Software and Technology, it was one of their guys pinned for this and it could be one of their guys doing the framing." With this said Hopkins rose to his feet and left the room in search of Cavanaugh.

Blake watched their superior leave before turning her eyes onto her partner, who quite frankly, looked like shit. "You didn't sleep much either huh?"

He shook his head, "Nah, been sick to my stomach over this. Any news on Rizzoli?"

"Not much has changed, she's still missing a huge chunk of her life and the diagnosis of dissociative amnesia is looking solid. She doesn't even recognise Doctor Isles," Blake said sadly, her heart breaking a little bit for the medical examiner. "After everything they have endured, to finally find one another and then this…" she shook her head as the thought was too painful to voice.

Mancini set his jaw and looked at his partner with a renewed vigour, "We gotta catch this guy, for Rizzoli…"

"And Isles," Blake completed.

* * *

 **A/N: Firstly, I am no medico... I do research, but I can only learn so much, so please take medical stuff with a grain of salt, especially when it comes to this dissociative amnesia... its a real thing, and I can only fathom its possible the way I have described (basically Jane's mind has decided this cop business is too horrible and after trauma, after trauma, riley's death has triggered the erasure of everything related to her work - that includes Maura), but like I said, no expert.**

 **Secondly, I'm sick, yuck... so updates might be slow in coming as it worsens, but hopefully I'll be over it in a few days.**

 **Thirdly, you guys rock and I appreciate you all so, so much. I hope this chapter meets my usual standards.**


	22. Chapter 22

Jane poked at the food on her plate absently; steamed fish and some vegetables that looked as if they had come straight from a microwaveable package. Given that a cheeseburger and fries were out of the question she pushed the plate aside and picked up the jello cup instead, that would have to do. She glanced in the direction of the muted television that was mounted on the wall and watched the sports highlights while spooning green globs of jello into her mouth.

Jane was thankful that the physical tests had ceased and she was allowed to change into some sweats that Frankie had brought for her the night before. She wanted to go home and while she would never admit it out loud she wanted her mother, but Frankie had told her she was unreachable out of state.

He had also told her that Doctor Isles was her best friend, a person she was closer to than anyone else and that she should be nice when the woman was around. It was frustrating that no matter how hard she tried she couldn't remember knowing the gorgeous blonde. It was like the harder she tried to recall the fuzzier things became and her agitation increased. The doctor hadn't been around too much though, and Jane found herself wishing she would stop by, just to ease the mind numbing boredom of sitting in a hospital room with nothing to do and nobody to talk to.

There was a light knock at the door before the woman she had just been thinking about slipped inside the room, closing the door behind her. She wore an apprehensive, almost timid look that tugged at Jane's heart. She offered up a soft smile to her visitor and waved a hand in the direction of an empty chair by the bed. "Come in, sit down, make yourself at home," she offered dryly.

Maura tilted her head in thought for a moment before nodding curtly and sitting down in the offered chair. "Hello Jane," she greeted almost robotically, her head taking her to a place of detachment to cope with the devastation her heart felt when she was around the woman she loved.

Jane gave the woman a solid once over, noting the quality of the slacks, silk blouse and leather jacket ensemble. This woman clearly had money and it made her wonder what on earth they had in common to have formed such a bond as Frankie had intimated. "So, what can ya tell me?"

"I can tell you that your CT scan showed no problems, there was no swelling of the brain following your concussion on Saturday. Blood tests have also come back clear of anything to be concerned about. Your blood pressure is a little high, but that's to be expected given the stress you have been under recently." Maura responded automatically with the information she had learned from Doctor Greenburg.

"So, what you're telling me is that it's just my head screwed on wrong?" Jane asked, a slight hint of amusement sparkling in her eyes, despite the seriousness in her voice.

"Your head doesn't screw on to your body Jane," Maura chided, before realising that it was just another idiom. She smiled at the incredulous look thrown her way by the detective. "I am not always familiar with common place idioms," she explained softly. "But yes your mind is attempting to protect you from recent trauma and as a result you have no memory of a significant part of your life."

"And you know what that trauma is?"

"Yes."

"But you can't tell me right? I mean, I was covered in blood last night. So I'm guessing I saw something that the cops are gonna wanna statement over yeah?"

Maura nodded, "Precisely why I cannot just tell you what happened."

Jane shrugged and looked down at her hands; the prominent scarring on her palms had been the cause of agitation throughout the day as she tried to recall what had caused them. She sighed and held her hands out towards Maura, "What about these? Can you tell me how I got these?"

Maura flinched at the reminder of the damage caused by Charles Hoyt and her heart broke a little more at the thought that Jane would eventually have to relive that trauma. She nodded slowly, "Yes, I could tell you but I'm not sure I want to."

"That bad huh?"

"Yes."

"No wonder my brain decided to re-wire a few things," Jane huffed, pulling her hands back into her lap. "So, we're best friends then? I mean that's what Frankie said."

For a moment Maura forgot all the heartache she felt and beamed her most genuine smile, "Yes, we are."

Jane grinned in return, it was a natural reaction that she couldn't contain; it just felt right watching that warm smile appear. "You'll have to forgive me if I need you to jog my memory," she offered wryly.

Maura pulled her lips into a tight, more forced smile at the attempted humour and absently played with her ring, spinning it around the finger it was on, allowing her discomfort to shine through loud and clear. She looked over at the curious brown eyes staring back at her and felt the prick of tears welling in her own. She abruptly stood, "I should go. Frankie will be here shortly to see you. I will talk to you later, Jane."

"Don't go," Jane blurted; the vulnerability showing in her voice as she reiterated the request. "Please don't go."

Maura paused in her retreat towards the door, but didn't turn around. She knew her tears were close to falling and the last thing she wanted was for Jane to see them; she had enough on her mind. She heard Jane clamber off the bed and move closer.

"I'm sorry," Jane mumbled. "I guess this must be pretty crappy for you huh?"

"You have no idea," Maura whispered tremulously, torn between stepping away and turning around to face the woman who had cut the distance between them significantly.

"So enlighten me," Jane said softly as she gripped Maura's wrist and gently pulled her around to face her. Her entire face softened in concern when she saw the doctor's tears.

"Please," Maura whispered, "Please don't."

"Don't what?" Jane asked gently.

Maura closed her eyes and stepped back away from the detective. "Look at me like that. Please don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like…" she stepped into Jane, stood on her tip toes and briefly grazed the surprised detective's lips with her own, before stepping away. "Like that won't ever happen again."

"Oh," Jane swallowed thickly with the realisation that perhaps there was more than friendship between them. She wanted to say something, anything, to ease the hurt she could see clearly written on the face in front of her, but she didn't know what to say. What could she say? She had an hours worth of memories with this woman and most of them were health related.

"Sorry?" She finally offered lamely.

Maura softly shook her head in the negative and made a hasty retreat to the door. She turned to look at Jane, who still stood on the spot looking a little dazed. "I apologise, that was… I shouldn't have."

Jane watched her friend (or was it girlfriend) leave, stuck to the spot as she muddled through what had just happened repeatedly. She felt such empathy for the woman who had departed and a little overwhelmed for herself. Eventually she ran a hand through her hair, but still stood, as if moving would bury everything that had just happened in a cloudy haze.

She was still standing there, her eyes glazed over in an almost trance when Frankie and Korsak arrived to visit. Frankie's eyes narrowed at the sight of his sister when he entered the room. "Hey what's up Janie? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Jane glanced over at her brother, not noticing Korsak and said, "Are Doc… Maura and I… are we a couple?" She felt incredibly awkward asking her brother that question, but the brief grazing of lips was burned into her mind. "'Cause she just kissed me."

"Oh boy," Korsak said sheepishly, happy that he wasn't the one that had to field that question.

Jane's head jerked in the direction of the unknown voice, before returning to her brother. "Who's that?"

"This is Korsak, Janie." Frankie explained, thankful for the brief respite from the more pertinent question. "You work together, he's a good friend."

"Oh, okay." She said uncertainly, as once again her brain failed her. The inability to recognise people was driving her up the wall.

Korsak thrust a disposable coffee cup in her direction and grinned, "I brought coffee."

A giant smile broke out on her face, "Now that's what I'm talkin' about!"

* * *

 **A/N: Short chapter tonight, cause...omg may be dying a little over here haha. Still I wanted to get something out for you all. All my thanks as usual.**


	23. Chapter 23

He found it frustrating lying low, but common sense had reigned in his desires to taunt the FBI analyst and he didn't want to risk openly invading hospital systems to track Rizzoli's progress. He had enough ears to the ground to know that she had been hospitalised with some sort of amnesia, but beyond that he hadn't been keen to dig around too much. It was rather satisfying to know the result of his manipulations; of course he wouldn't be sated until the detective took her own life, but he figured that it was simply a matter of time – once she started remembering.

There was still a bitter aftertaste left in his mouth though, knowing that he couldn't enjoy the downfall of his foe up close; at least not yet. He figured it was time to work a little harder at placing himself in direct line with Doctor Isles. It was something he planned to work on in coming days, and yet the universe had decided to rather inadvertently shine upon him when he found himself running into Maura outside of Massachusetts General Hospital.

"Maura, this is a surprise." He said with a smile, which dampened on the outside when he recognised her dismal appearance. Internally though, he was giddy with joy, but he was an expert at masking his emotions.

Maura quickly dried her tears and offered a sad smile, "Ryan, what are you doing here?" They had stopped just outside the main entrance and were eyeing each other curiously.

"I have a meeting with Heather Daniels, the Financial Administrator, with regards to a donation from my mother's fund." He offered genuinely, "Is everything alright?"

Maura glanced down at her watch it was after six pm, "A little late isn't it?"

He shrugged indifferently, "We're headed out for dinner as well, but you are deflecting my dear. What brings you here and has you looking so glum?" He was keen for confirmation of what he was in no doubt about, "It's not Jane is it?"

She offered a polite smile and said, "I can't really talk about it at the moment. I will not keep you; enjoy your dinner, Ryan."

He nodded his understanding. "Well you know where to contact me if you need a friendly ear, Maura. You have a good evening." With that he sauntered away towards the main entrance.

Maura watched him enter the hospital before continuing to her car; she just wanted to get home and out of the public eye. She hated that she had run out on Jane so soon, but having lost control and kissed her, albeit briefly, was more than she could handle. She felt guilty for the confusion she would have caused the detective and frustrated that they even found themselves in this situation. A life, which days before had seemed so full of promise, was suddenly feeling very lonely.

* * *

"So Korsak seems like a real Doctor Doolittle," Jane commented with a chuckle after the Detective Sergeant had made his leave.

"Yeah, he's a real animal lover." Frankie agreed. "How are you feeling about everything?"

"Confused," Jane answered honestly while rubbing at the scars on her palms. "It's just how the hell is it I know everything the Red Sox are doing this year but have forgotten some of the most important people in my life?"

Frankie shrugged; he couldn't begin to understand what it must feel like for his sister. "I dunno Janie, but I believe in ya and I know you'll get your memories back."

Jane shook her head in disbelief, the frustration and agitation only contributed to her difficulties every time she tried searching her memories. Her confidence was low as a result, "Glad one of us does little brother."

"Come on Janie, it's only been a day, it's gonna take time. Besides I know you'll find your way back to yourself because Maura needs ya."

She shot him an incredulous look, "You never did answer my question when you walked in."

Frankie ran a hand through his short dark locks and looked long and hard at his sister before finally relenting. "That's 'cause I dunno, I mean there's been some indicators you guys have gone to the next level," he offered, not wanting to mention the almost sex tape at any stage, even if she had remembered it. The memory of what little of the video he had seen was enough to make him shudder; there were some things brothers should not see their sisters do.

Jane tilted her head as a signal for him to continue and when he didn't she verbally prodded, "And?"

"And regardless of the label on your relationship, you and Maura are soul mates Janie. Simple as that. I ain't ever seen you look at anyone else the way you look at her and Maura, man she'd walk through hell for you." He shrugged when he realised in some ways what was happening right now could definitely be classed that way for the medical examiner, "In fact I'd say that's exactly what it's like for her at the moment."

"I guess. I gotta be honest though brother, I just don't really see how we're friends. She seems so different to us, ya know?"

Frankie laughed, "Oh that's 'cause she is. You two are like chalk and cheese, and trust me you're the chalk in this scenario. She's a refined lady, quirky as hell but you two just clicked."

"We had our work as a common denominator yeah? I mean, without that and without any freakin memories, man… I feel like such a jerk 'cause I know this hurts her, but what am I supposed to do Frankie?" The desperation at the situation was clear in her voice, as Jane didn't want to hurt this woman, whom she clearly meant so much to, but it was just awkward all around after that kiss.

Frankie sat in silence for a few minutes, just studying the sudden timidity in his normally bold sister; she sat, legs curled up underneath her on the hospital bed, with her eyes fixed firmly on the palm she was working with her other hand. "You gotta give her a chance Janie…"

"I'm not gay Frankie," she interrupted harshly.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes at his sister and her denial. "God, Janie that's probably why you two danced around each other so long. Nobody cares and so what, okay you're not gay… but you're sure as hell Maurasexual!"

Her eyes snapped up and onto him at his made up terminology, "Really?"

He shrugged, "Look what happened earlier, it's not gonna happen again if you're not comfortable with it. Maura's not like that yeah? There's so much shit flyin' around and she's knee deep in it and I guess it got the better of her, but she ain't the type to press her affections."

Jane returned her attention to her hands and mumbled an, "Okay."

"Just don't shut her out, you're pretty much all she has. Sure we love her like she's part of the family, 'cause she practically is, but you're the one that brings her out of her shell. You make her feel safe in this God forsaken world Jane and I know this is a lot to take in, but please just give her a chance to help you." He knew he was close to begging, but he feared for Maura more than he did his sister. In some ways he almost considered Jane better off without the awful memories of the traumas that had littered her life, if only it didn't come at the cost of the love of her life.

"What about her own family?" Jane asked, curiosity piqued by her brother's plea.

"Oh man… okay so short story, she's adopted. Constance and Arthur Isles; gave her everything she could ever need, except their love and attention. Christ she sent away for boarding school at ten years of age because that was a better option than staying home and feeling alone!"

"Damn, that's harsh."

Frankie shook his head and offered sarcastically, "Oh but it gets so much better!" He watched his sister quirk an eyebrow, indicating he should continue. "Her biological father is a mobster and her biological mother hardly wanted to know her except to ask for a kidney for her other child Cailin, which by the way Maura gave them!"

"Suddenly feeling blessed to be a Rizzoli, little brother."

"Yeah and so does Maura, Janie. She's one of us now and that alone is reason enough for you to try and get to know her again… you know… in case…" his voice trailed out when he realised he really didn't want to contemplate that thought.

"In case I don't get better, huh?" She asked despondently.

He waved a hand to dismiss the thought and carried on singing the praises of Maura Isles; in the hopes some of it would get through the stubborn skull of his sister or even better yet prompt some memories. "Ma lives in her guest house, after Pa left her and they had to sell the house, Maura stepped up. Pretty sure you questioned her sanity," he chuckled briefly at that memory, everyone who knew Angela Rizzoli had questioned Maura's sanity.

"She's just so damned kind and considerate Janie and she loves you fiercely. She just wants what is best for you and she's a freakin' genius so I'm pretty sure she actually _does know_ what is best for you."

"Okay, okay… I won't make a big deal outta that whole kiss thing." Jane offered in an attempt to placate her brother.

"Thank you," he said exhaling heavily in relief.

"Although," Jane said, her thoughts drifting back to earlier in the evening, "Her lips were sooooo soft!"

"Yeah I know," Frankie answered before cringing when he realised what he had admitted to. "Aw hell, you're going to remember anyway, I kissed Maura once… she totally rejected me of course. She said it was like kissing her brother." He shrugged sheepishly.

"You're such a jerk little brother," Jane said with a hint of a smirk, "I bet you knew how I felt about her before I did and I bet you knew before you kissed her!"

Frankie blushed a little at the implication, because he was indeed guilty as charged. "Hey, look, you weren't taking your shot and I mean come on sis, you've seen her. She's hot! Can't blame a guy for trying!"

"God, you sound just like Giovanni… there's more to a woman than her looks little brother!"

Frankie just grinned. "Yuh huh… so, gonna kiss your hot girlfriend again anytime soon, or do I get a second run at it?" He was already up and out of his chair running in anticipation and wasn't let down when his sister jumped off the bed and put him in a headlock. "I give, I give. You know I was just teasing."

Jane pushed her brother away from her body and just shook her head. "You're such a punk."

"Maybe I am, but I just want what's best for ya." He said as he offered up his arms for a hug and welcomed his big sister into them, squeezing tight.

She squeezed him back before pulling away and retreating to the bed. "How much longer can you stay?" She asked, suddenly feeling the tug of loneliness marching up on her quickly. "Better yet, when do I get to get outta here?"

"I can stay for another half hour, but I gotta get some sleep, we're really short staffed at the moment." He managed to keep his face calm, despite the sudden heaviness at the reality of homicide having lost Cooper and his sister in one night. He sighed, "And Maura will be here at noon tomorrow to sort your discharge."

"She will? I mean, she's not gonna avoid me after what happened?" Jane asked, knowing full well that her brother would be working and that they weren't going to let her out on her own.

"She'll probably feel as awkward as you do or guilty, but she'll be here. You're her only priority Jane."

Jane nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Alright then, might as well tell me more about the dumb shit I must have pulled around Maura then. I mean, this is me we're talking about." She grinned at her brother, finally finding her sense of humour again.

Frankie sat back down and laughed, "Well, you did shoot her biological father…"

"No freakin' way!" Jane exclaimed, her jaw nearly hitting the floor.

Frankie just laughed, "Oh man, those few weeks you two fought over that were hell, but you got over it. Probably why you go to all those fancy spa retreats she asks you to join her on though," he said with a wink.

Jane groaned, "God, really? I'm totally whipped, aren't I? You can tell me little brother…"

Frankie doubled over with laughter and actually struggled to breathe before finally catching his breath and saying, "Oh God Janie, you are so whipped it isn't even funny!"

* * *

Maura was halfway through her second glass of wine and debating the merits of a hot bath and then an early night when she heard the knock at her door. She placed her wine down on the kitchen island and made her way to the door, surprised to find Detective Sergeant Vince Korsak on the other side.

"Vince, this is a surprise. Did you want to come in?" She asked, stepping back to allow him room to enter.

"Thanks Doc," he said with a warm smile while stepping inside. "Couple of things I wanted to talk to you about, if that's okay?"

She nodded and led him over to the kitchen island. "That's fine. Did you want something to drink?"

He waved off the offer, "Nah I'm good Doc. Just wanted to see how you're doing with everything."

"I'm coping," it was the best she could muster. Maura didn't want to lie, but she didn't exactly feel like elaborating on her feelings either.

Korsak shifted uncomfortably on his feet, debating whether to mention the kiss that Jane had mentioned; finally giving in and doing so. "I saw Janie tonight, she uh, she mentioned that you kissed her and she looked a little dumbfounded. So uh, yeah I guess I just wanna make sure you're okay."

"I really shouldn't have done that," Maura offered meekly.

"Hey, no judgement here Doc. You love that woman and she loves you, this whole situation is just shit," he flinched a little under her scolding eye. "Sorry Doc, but you know what I mean. I guess I just wanted you to know as someone else who knows what it's like to have lost the Janie we know, I'm here for you."

"Thank you Vince, I truly do appreciate that. It's not easy, in fact it's downright difficult, but I must put Jane first."

"I know; which brings me to the second order of business for the evening. The feds want to take Jane back to the scene of Cooper's death tomorrow."

"Absolutely not; they can wait. This is going to take time, who knows the kind of damage that could be done if we take her back there and she is inundated with memories. It could destroy her Vince."

"I know, but what if it just brings back memories of what happened that night, and not the other stuff? We need to know what we're working with."

"No." Maura said firmly, "I want her to speak with a psychiatrist first to determine the best course of action. She will be released tomorrow and from there I will find the best psychiatrist for her condition." In fact she already had, it was something she researched as soon as she had returned home the night before, knowing the battle that Jane had ahead of her. "She's not going back to that scene until it is cleared as a sound idea."

Korsak smirked a little, "I figured you'd say as much. I told Agent Mancini the same thing and when he protested I told him if he wanted to argue he could take it up with you. He backed off after that, seems he's afraid of you Doc."

Maura smiled genuinely at the memory from a month before. "Well yes, I do believe I handed him his testicles on a platter at one stage."

Korsak grimaced at the imagery before shaking his head and chuckling, "Never change Doc; never change."

"Change is inevitable Vince, you know this." Maura responded all too literally.

"You know what? Maybe I will have that drink after all." Korsak offered with another shake of the head. He figured he might as well stick around for a little while and keep the doctor company, because he knew without Jane and Angela around she would be lonely and he knew it would be what the old Jane would have wanted.

* * *

 **A/N: And now it's spelled out for those who hadn't quite picked up on exactly who the evil mastermind is. Still sick, but hopefully I shouldn't be kept from writing. Hope you enjoy, and yes Maura is still pretty much stuffing everything away inside, it's how she rolls... *sigh* poor Maura.  
**

 **Thanks for the reads, reviews, faves and follows. Also this is now officially the second longest work of fiction I have ever written, so woot.**


	24. Chapter 24

SSA Hopkins pulled Agent Blake aside when he noticed her return with her partner and a somewhat dishevelled looking young man that Mancini was shoving into an interrogation room. "Who's that?"

"Our surveillance showed this guy dropping a package off at Doctor Isles' door late Saturday morning. Took us a little while to track him down, but now that we've found him we're going to have a little chat, see what he knows." Blake explained patiently, aware that there was growing scrutiny on the case following the death of Cooper.

Hopkins nodded, "Alright. Keep me informed."

Blake watched her superior disappear down the hall before turning and approaching Mancini, who had hovered quietly outside the interrogation room door. "Here's hoping this guy can give us something to go on."

Mancini grunted almost disinterestedly, he didn't think the man who appeared to be in his early twenties would be able to tell them much, but it was the only hot lead they had. "We'll see, I imagine if we're lucky we might get more from Ryan Leiland."

Blake considered for a moment the likelihood of the CEO of Leiland Software and Technologies being forthcoming and shook her head dismissively. "He'll just give us lip service until we can get a warrant. The kid in there might be our best bet."

Mancini shrugged before pushing the door open and striding into the room, followed closely by his partner. Closing the door behind them, he sauntered into the corner of the room where he folded his arms across his chest and leaned into the wall. He would simply observe and allow his partner to do the questioning.

Blake pulled a seat out and sat down opposite the young man she hoped would help with their enquiries. "Do you know why you're here Henry?"

Henry Ward shrugged, his eyes looking apprehensively around the room, bouncing from the calm soft features of Agent Blake to the intimidating features of Agent Mancini. He swallowed hard, "Something to do with the package I delivered on Saturday."

"That's right," Blake acknowledged calmly, "What were you dropping off?"

"I dunno," he shrugged reluctantly, wishing that he had been more curious so that maybe he could give these FBI agents what they wanted. He absently tapped his fingers on the table top as his anxiety levels increased. "Was just a job."

"Who hired you?"

"I dunno," his eyes dropped down to the table, not wanting to meet the steady gaze of his interrogator.

"How can you not know, Henry?" Agent Blake's voice had grown a little harder, sterner, more calculating.

"It's an app; I picked up the envelope from a drop spot along with payment and then dropped the package at the address as directed." He looked up wide eyed, trying to convey his innocence and honesty on the topic.

"An app?" Blake questioned incredulously.

Henry relaxed a little, sensing that maybe she believed him. He chuckled nervously as he stated, "Yeah, they got apps for everything these day! Drop-N-Go is the name of the app I used… it connects people anonymously."

"Doesn't sound like it would be used for anything legal Henry."

He grimaced a little at the observation. "I dunno, I mean I've used it for Valentine's Day, secret admirer stuff, you know, nothing illegal… I needed some fast cash and the opportunity presented itself. Five hundred bucks to drop off an envelope… I mean, what's the harm in that?"

Agent Mancini shook his head before wandering over to the table and leering at the young man. "All sorts of nasty things can be passed along in an envelope Henry. Drugs, Anthrax…"

Blake glanced sideways at her partner and glared at him before focusing back on Henry. "He does have a point. You got lucky this time kid, but next time who knows? You could end up being a drug mule without realising it… you might want to consider some other legitimate ways of making cash."

Henry nodded eagerly. "Yes Ma'am."

"You think you could show us this app Henry?" Blake asked softly.

"Oh yeah, for sure. Anything to help out, honest."

"Good. And Henry?"

"Yes?"

"Where did you pick up the package?"

"It was taped to the bottom of a park bench in the Commons."

Blake and Mancini shared a knowing look; they really weren't going to be able to get anything useful out of this situation. Blake rose to her feet, "Alright kid, let's go and look at this app."

* * *

It had turned into a rather stressful day for Maura, which started at the station, before eventually ending with Jane. She had found herself quite unsettled when she had run into Ryan in the lobby, he had been all smiles and indicated that he was helping with some enquiries regarding the system he designed, which BPD operated. That seemed well enough, but for Maura it was starting to feel like everywhere she turned, Ryan was either there, or calling her and her intestines were trying to tell her something, she just wasn't as adept at listening to them as Jane was. She shook off the uneasy feeling and went about her morning's work before leaving for the day to check Jane out of the hospital and take her home.

Of course then Maura had to deal with her guilt and anxiety with regards to her inappropriate actions the night before; thankfully Jane had been much too excited to be getting out of the hospital to bother mentioning the incident, which had calmed Maura a little. Still the next problem she had faced was convincing Jane that she should have some company when she first entered her apartment. Maura hoped for, but maintained a healthy concern towards the prospect of Jane's apartment prompting some memories. She would have preferred to take Jane back to her own home, but didn't think it would be very comfortable for the detective, given their circumstances.

The afternoon had quickly melted away and Maura had decided to make them dinner, while Jane reacquainted herself with her Netflix account. It turned out that Jane's memories of Netflix were quite intact, although she did query why she had so many nature documentaries queued up, which elicited a small smirk from Maura when it dawned on the detective that it was something she endured for the doctor.

They ate dinner in relative silence, but unlike the previous silences that had fallen on them during the afternoon it wasn't uncomfortable. Jane had relaxed into the situation, realising that Maura was far from a threat, if anything she was her best chance of regaining her missing memories. Even if they were ones she didn't think she was going to like. The scarring on her palms a constant reminder that there were traumatic events hidden in her past.

It was while Maura was standing over the sink washing the dinner dishes that she felt a sudden change in atmosphere. It was more than the subtle air displacement behind her and definitely more than the presence of Jane, standing mere inches away from her body. So close, but not quite touching. She slowly dried her hands on a tea towel before turning around and looking up into a searching gaze. "Jane?"

Jane didn't process the sound of her name falling from Maura's lips, as she was intently focused on cataloguing every minute feature of her face. Her eyes trailed down past hesitant hazel eyes and the lips she recalled being soft on her own the night before. Her eyes trailed down past the doctor's chin and fell onto the faded scar on her neck. Instinctively she reached out and traced the line of the scar, before whipping her hand away.

She swallowed thickly as flashes of images she couldn't quite make out slammed into her brain. She took a step backwards as contradicting feelings flooded her body. There was a sense of warmth and familiarity that forced its way past her stomach, gripping her heart; but there was also a cold chilling fear that threatened to consume her. She looked back up at Maura and could see the concern radiating from her features. "Maura?"

Jane closed her eyes and stumbled backwards into the wall as visions of a grey haired man in a prison jumpsuit leaning over Maura and dragging his scalpel along her neck flooded her brain. She opened her eyes and muttered the name of her nightmares, "Hoyt."

"What are you remembering Jane?" Maura asked calmly, not allowing her tone or face to betray her concern.

Jane stepped back towards Maura, reaching out to trace the scar on her neck once again. "He hurt you…"

"Yes," Maura confirmed, when she realised Jane wasn't going to elaborate further on the thought.

The subsequent images that assaulted Jane's mind weren't as clear as the memory of Maura's life being in danger. She couldn't remember all the specifics, but she remembered how she felt. She remembered her realisation as she watched Hoyt cut into Maura's neck and that memory coursed through her veins, setting her on fire.

She stepped forward one more time, pushing into Maura's personal space. She slid her hand from her neck to her cheek, cupping it tenderly as the feelings that threatened to overwhelm her battled with the logical mind that still didn't believe there was enough evidence to warrant the emotion suddenly surging through her blood.

Jane attempted to swallow down the lump forming in her throat and looked away when she felt the warm prickle of tears forming. Finally she returned her gaze to Maura, who hadn't moved, barely daring to breathe for fear of spooking the detective. "He saw it before I did," she whispered hoarsely, the emotion affecting her vocal chords. "How I felt for you… he saw it first and he tried to use it against me. I… I don't remember what happened completely… I just remember how my chest ached; I remember my fear of losing you."

Maura covered Jane's hand on her cheek with her own and turned into the hand, kissing it warmly before looking back at Jane. "That fear fuelled you Jane and you saved my life."

Jane pulled her hand away from the warm touch and let it drop to her side while she studied Maura further. Eventually she said, "I feel so conflicted."

"Why?" Maura enquired cautiously.

"Everything that I'm feeling… it's not… I mean, I don't understand it." Jane looked away from the kitchen into the living area in an attempt to gather her thoughts. "I remember these feelings and it's making me feel very drawn to you Maura… but, it's not who I am." She shrugged helplessly, more than aware that there was barely any space between them, their breath was intermingling and that her body was screaming for her to bridge the gap even further.

Maura offered Jane a sad smile, "It's okay Jane. You've remembered a moment in time, but there are so many more moments that make up who we are." She wasn't going to force the situation; it was more than enough to know that on some level Jane knew there was more to her feelings, even if she wasn't yet ready to embrace them.

Jane nodded slowly before taking a step back and swallowing hard. "So why does it hurt so much?" She watched Maura tilt her head in confusion before elaborating, "I feel like I am hurting you Maura and it's making me feel all kinds of messed up."

"I'm okay," she smiled weakly, unable to force it all the way into her eyes. "How I feel isn't what matters right now. You're the one I'm worried about."

Jane shook her head and chuckled a little at the realisation that Frankie had been right. Maura wasn't going to force her into anything and only wanted what was best for her. It was a strange sensation that only increased the warmth she felt for the doctor. "The way Frankie described you… the way you are interacting with me… are you some kinda Saint, doc?"

"Not likely," Maura said softly before turning back to the dishes, needing the distraction.

Jane was about to make her retreat back into the living room when the sight of Maura leaning over the sink sent flashes of a very different kind of memory to her mind. She swallowed thickly, yet again. The emotion that lashed her body with force took control of her motor function, her body deciding enough was enough. It was tired of listening to the logical brain that fought so vehemently against what her heart and body yearned for.

Maura gasped in surprise when she felt Jane's arms wrap around her body, much like they had done a month prior. Before she could find the right words to question the detective, she felt warm lips press against her neck and she was assaulted with memories from the last time this happened. "Jane," she warned, not at all sure Jane knew what she was doing.

"Don't want to fight it," Jane muttered between kisses that she trailed along the exposed skin of Maura's neck and collar bone.

Maura turned around in the embrace and searched the clearly dilated and almost black pupils staring back at her. She opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by a tentative, but ferocious kiss. She felt the fire roaring within Jane and it only served to stir her own burning embers. She whimpered a little into the kiss when it deepened, but softened in intensity, becoming more languid. It dawned on Maura then that this was Jane's way of acknowledging her emotions. The tenderness she felt, even as she was pressed forcefully into the bench top, melted her resolve. Eventually she had to pull away for air; she buried her head against Jane's chest and sucked in the much needed oxygen. "I am irrevocably yours Jane," she whispered softly.

* * *

 **A/N: Well hello dearies, I have returned. I apologise for my absence... I was distracted by four seasons of Person of Interest. Should be getting back to daily if not every other daily updates now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please, do tell me what you think.**


	25. Chapter 25

Maura wasn't exactly sure how they had moved from the kitchen to the bedroom and how she had given into raw desire yet again. Well, she understood exactly how she had given in to the desire that burned through her body when Jane had started kissing and touching and pulling her towards the bedroom. She could never say no to Jane when she was demanding and insistent, and she had been very demanding as their clothes had been tugged off and tossed away unceremoniously during the journey.

What she couldn't comprehend was how once again despite her logical brain warning her that it might not be the best idea; she had given in to biological urges. Of course Jane held sway over her, but this time the stakes were a lot more complicated. Jane's mental health should have been her priority, not her own sexual needs; but then her logical brain didn't afford much time to process those thoughts before base needs took control.

The concern invaded her thoughts again once she had come down from the intense orgasm Jane had provided her. Her breathing was still ragged when Jane tucked herself into her side and brought her head to rest on her chest. The memory of the last time they had been in this position caused a sudden bout of melancholy to flood her body. Maura sighed heavily and shrugged away from Jane, turning on her side away from the detective, attempting to hide the tears she felt building.

Jane's brow furrowed in confusion when Maura turned away, but then more forgotten memories filtered back into her brain and she recalled what had happened the last time they had been physically intimate. An involuntary shudder coursed through her body, she had been a complete asshole and while she didn't know her motivations because so many memories were missing, she knew enough to know that the last time they were together had something to do with Maura's distress. She scooted over, pressed her front against Maura's back and wrapped an arm around her body in an attempt to soothe.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm not gonna run away this time Maura." She placed several tender kisses on Maura's back, hoping that her actions could speak for her because she knew she didn't have the right words. "I wanted this."

Maura had to admit that when Jane tried, she could be very physically reassuring. The warmth of their bodies pressed together and the soft kisses pressed into her back forced back some of the immediate fear, but there was still an immense guilt pervading her body. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" Jane queried curiously.

"We shouldn't have, I mean… I should have stopped us. Your mental health is priority." Maura felt ashamed for not having been stronger.

"Don't say that. I'm starting to remember things Maura; and I think it's because of you." She felt around with her hand until she found one of Maura's and could entwine their fingers. "I don't want you to apologise for loving me, because that's what this is for you."

The word choice wasn't lost on Maura. She was a master of words after all and had often manipulated them to skirt the truth while avoiding an outright lie. This instance though the words that she knew were meant to soothe, only caused her to feel uneasy. She knew she shouldn't ask, but couldn't help herself. "And what is it for you?"

"Trust." Jane said simply.

She understood where Maura's thought process had gone, it was a logical conclusion, but she knew she couldn't tell Maura she loved her because she didn't. At least she didn't feel it yet but she suspected if the memories that were finding their way back were anything to go on, it wouldn't be long before she did. She just knew that she trusted Maura completely, that there was a need within herself to protect Maura in any way possible and that she found the doctor incredibly attractive.

Jane watched as Maura shifted forwards to create some space before shifting on to her other side so that they were face to face. "I'm not going anywhere, okay? I really do want to be here with you." She reached out and traced Maura's lips with her fingertips, "So beautiful."

Maura blushed at the compliment and offered an accepting smile. "I think I like this new you."

"Oh really?" Jane quirked an eyebrow playfully, while maintaining a steady eye on her lover.

"You're a lot more open about your feelings."

"Yeah well, I get the feeling I am a bit of a jerk about that. I remember what I did to you last time we were … you know… gah, you know what I mean. I hurt you, and I don't want to do that again." Jane sighed and closed her eyes momentarily, trying to sift through the conflicting thoughts and emotions. It wasn't as easy to be as open as she was making it out to be, but she had remembered enough to know that she had the power to destroy the woman lying opposite her and it wasn't something she wanted to take lightly

Maura watched Jane thoughtfully, appreciative of her consideration, but curious to see what else she had remembered. "What else do you remember?"

"Just that brief moment with Hoyt at the prison and our last encounter and the fact I was an ass about it. It's frustrating not being able to understand _why_ I behaved in ways that just aren't me and I am a bit worried about what else I have to remember, but at least I am remembering some stuff, right?"

Maura sighed, "You were an _ass_ as you put it, because you were being stubborn and retreating from what had occurred between us, plus I think you just wanted to protect me from perceived threats."

"Well I'm a protective person, doesn't mean I should be an ass." Jane yawned and stretched her arms before settling more comfortably into the mattress. "I'm ready to sleep."

"Okay." Maura rolled back onto her back and closed her eyes, once again leaving Jane to make any decisions about how much closer they would be.

Jane watched Maura for a few minutes before she asked, "Would you uh, would you mind if I held you?"

Maura didn't say anything, simply smiled before adjusting so that she was once again the little spoon. She threaded her hand through Jane's resting on her stomach and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

* * *

" _You look tired, Victor._ " Penelope Garcia stated without her usual vibrancy, her image streaming through the monitors in the BRIC.

Agent Mancini exhaled heavily, he hadn't slept well the night before. His mind kept playing over the interview with Ryan Leiland, which had proven as fruitless as his partner had suggested it would. Still there was a certain level of smarmy arrogance that Leiland had exuded that rubbed him the wrong way, but with nothing more to go on he knew they wouldn't be getting warrants to access personnel files from Leiland Software and Technologies.

He leaned forward on his chair, placing his forearms on the desk in front of him and looked up at the FBI Technical Analyst. "Sleepless night. Did you find any interesting LSaT employees for me to investigate further?"

" _That would be a negative, but I am more interested in what I couldn't find. It appears that Ryan Leiland is a very private man, I couldn't find any information on his family, outside of his mother and the charity he operates in her name._ "

Mancini threw a sideways glance at Nina, "What about you Ms Holiday, what did you find?"

"I'm afraid much of the same; the birth certificate I located didn't have his father listed." Nina offered with an apologetic shrug, knowing that if Garcia hadn't found anything, that she doubted there was anything more she would find in her own searches.

" _I can tell you that Leiland attended MIT, where he excelled, and that he built his business from his bedroom as a teenager. His systems are renowned for security and are vigorously tested; granted not much can keep me out,_ " Garcia said with a chuckle before sobering up, " _Leave it with me though Victor, I will find more out about this guy. I am after all the omniscient one; he won't be able to hide from me forever._ "

Agent Blake strolled through the doors of the BRIC a bag with some breakfast bagels in one hand and a cup holder with four coffees in the other. She handed a cup to Nina and placed two cups in front of her partner, whom she knew would have had a restless night. "Get that into ya partner," she said with a smirk while she pulled a bagel from the bag before dropping that in front of Mancini as well.

" _Good morning Agent Blake, I am glad to see you taking care of my stud muffin._ " Garcia chimed in brightly upon seeing the crease of a smile form on Mancini's face when the smell of quality coffee hit his system.

Blake turned to look at Garcia's image and smiled brightly, "Somebody has to. Anything?"

Garcia smiled at Blake's usual straight down to business manner. " _I'm afraid I still have to do some digging on Ryan Leiland, he's hiding things and I don't like it when boys get selfish with their toys._ "

Nina stifled a laugh; she had quickly learned that Penelope Garcia was not your stereotypical FBI employee. "Everyone else that has access to the BPD system appears to check out, at least as far as Jane's theory of a cop in the family. They appear to be the usual run of the mill computer geeks, leading normal well adjusted lives. I'm with Garcia with regards to being suspicious of the lack of information available on Mr Leiland."

Blake shuddered at the heebie jeebies she'd gotten from the man during the interview the previous morning. "That guy creeps me out, I'm almost hoping he is the unsub. Just so I can wipe that shit-eating grin off of his face."

" _I'll see what I can dig up my lovelies, however I need to go. My team has just touched down in St. Louis and will be requiring my assistance shortly. Stay safe people."_ Garcia's image disappeared from the screens in the room, leaving the two feds with Nina and their coffee.

Agent Mancini took a large mouthful of the coffee and let out a contented sigh. "I see you hit that café down the block. Good stuff, Blake."

Agent Blake waved him away with her bagel laden hand, before taking a much needed bite of her breakfast. Once she had swallowed she said, "I know you partner, this case is getting to you and after that slimeball's condescension yesterday… well yeah, I didn't sleep much either."

Nina sipped appreciatively at her coffee, contemplating what she had learned. "Is there anything else we have to point to Leiland as a viable suspect? Besides the apparent lack of family history available online? I get that his company designed our systems here, but maybe he's just a private jackass?"

"Nah there isn't," Mancini almost growled, not at Nina, but more in frustration. "And even if we can find some information that helps him fit the profile, it's gonna be hard to prove. I just don't like the guy; he's a real piece of work."

"That and we really don't have anything else to go on. Feeling like every lead we get leads straight to a brick wall. Leiland definitely fits the category of calculated and organised like the unsub, and he has the computer skills that have been the bane of our existence so far." Blake added; the frustration showing in her voice.

"But then there are his humanitarian efforts with that charity named after his mother. The Sarah Martin Memorial Charity… but then, he wouldn't be the first person to hide behind philanthropy for insidious reasons." Mancini hated playing devil's advocate, but he knew that they had to simmer down their dislike of the man and look at the situation impartially, or they might just miss valuable insight.

"Well, I can go through the backgrounds of his employees again, see if something else sticks out." Nina offered, sensing the flagging morale in the room.

Mancini nodded in agreement, "Yeah thanks Nina." He stood and juggled the bag with his bagel and his two cups of coffee as he indicated to his partner they should head to the taskforce's staging room.

Blake chuckled at his hilarious attempts at juggling everything, which he did indeed manage, and followed him out of the room after asking Nina to keep them informed should she come across anything potentially useful.

* * *

 **A/N: I guess I like a little symmetry in some things... although this time Jane got a chance to behave better ;) As usual all my thanks and love to the wonderful readers and reviewers of this story. It has by farbecome the most popular of my works, exceeding 150 followers and exceeding 50 favourites, not to mention closing in on 300 reviews. I truly appreciate the time you take to tell me how you feel. Thank you.**


	26. Chapter 26

"Doctor Isles," the surprise was evident in Agent Blake's voice, "I'm surprised to see you here on a Sunday."

Maura turned from where she was waiting for the elevator in the lobby to watch Agent Blake stride towards her from the direction of the entrance to headquarters. She offered a tired smile, "Death doesn't operate on my schedule, Agent Blake."

Blake nodded once in acknowledgement of the reality of the position Maura held. "Fair enough. I am glad I've run into you though; there are some things I would like to discuss with you, when you have time."

Maura glanced at her watch; it was too early for any conversation really. Her brows furrowed at the thought causing her to return a more observational gaze towards the FBI Agent. Her navy pant suit and white blouse showed obvious signs of wear, crinkled and ruffled. "Have you been here all night?"

Blake shrugged as if it were no big deal. "Just ducked out for a coffee break down the street."

Maura nodded understandably. "I see. I have a few things I need to do downstairs. I will come find you when I am done, if that would suit you?"

The elevator dinged and Maura walked towards it, stepping inside, but turned and held the doors at bay, while she waited for an answer.

Blake smiled, "I would appreciate that. I'll either be in BRIC, or the conference room." She watched Maura nod confirmation before she removed her hand and allowed the doors to close. She rubbed at a knot in her neck and strode over to the elevators that would take her to the homicide level of the building.

The week had dragged by slowly for the investigation, with Garcia striking out on finding anything useful about Ryan Leiland, which in and of itself was quite suspicious and incredibly frustrating. There had been no luck in tracking down the suspected hired perpetrator responsible for Cooper's death; he was either long gone or long dead, neither thought provided Blake with much comfort.

She rode the elevator upstairs, where she made a beeline for the conference room. She wanted to sift through the evidence again, and comb through contact reports from the agents that had been keeping an eye on Maura since the day she was abducted. Blake still felt that Maura was the key to catching the guy. He had spared her life and if they could figure out the reasoning behind that and the subsequent threat against Maura and others Detective Rizzoli was close to, then maybe they could find a new angle to tackle the case.

Blake logged onto the secure FBI network on her laptop and started shifting through surveillance photographs of the people that had visited or stopped to speak with Maura outside the walls of the BPD in the past five weeks. Several yawns escaped her as she settled into a rhythm of tapping on the space bar to bring up the next picture. Before she even realised it the exhausted agent fell asleep rather unceremoniously, her head coming to rest against her arm on the table.

* * *

 _It was the darkness that pierced its way through the dull veil of her fleeting consciousness. She felt heavy, each breath more ragged than the last. Pain radiated from the back of her head and her body refused to respond to the commands she gave it: open your eyes, check the head wound… open your eyes!_

 _She groaned pitifully as the throbbing at the back of her skull brought her closer to reality. A damp musky smell invaded her nostrils and her eyes shot open as she remembered exactly where she was. It was then she felt him straddling her hips, her gaze settled on his mottled, leering features and a shudder of fear shot though her spine._

 _"Oh Janie, so glad you're awake," he cooed, his smile sinister while his left hand pinned her right hand down. "I wouldn't want you to miss the fun."_

 _Before she could register what was happening he slammed the scalpel through her right palm and the worst pain she had ever experienced screamed through the severed nerve endings, slamming her brain with an excruciating warning of danger. He followed up with a scalpel through her left hand and she was pinned, fear radiating from her eyes as he leaned over her and traced a third scalpel carefully along her throat in a warning of what was to come._

 _"Please…" she muttered, not really sure whether she was begging for her freedom or a quick end to it all._

 _Charles Hoyt gazed down longingly at his latest prey, he was going to have so much fun before he ended her. "I do love it when you beg, Janie…"_

Jane's eyes opened abruptly and she instantly rolled over looking for the comfort that Maura had been providing following each nightmare, but she wasn't in the bed and the sheets next to her were cold. She sat up and rubbed at the tears that had escaped during her haunted sleep. "Maura?" She rasped tentatively, her voice rougher than usual with sleep.

No response.

She glanced over at her alarm clock, which indicated it was too early to be up on a Sunday, it was just after eight in the morning. She pulled herself out of bed and stumbled into the en-suite. After emptying her bladder and washing her hands thoroughly she stared into the bathroom mirror, not liking what she saw staring back at her.

Her sleep had been interrupted by regular nightmares since her first memory had returned and she now had a firm grasp on everything Charles Hoyt and some understanding about what had changed her from whom she thought she was, to who she had apparently become. Closed off and fearful of letting anyone get too close to her; the memories of what Hoyt had been about to do to Maura when she had stopped him, remained the most vivid. It was clear that Maura had become the most important person in her life, but because of Hoyt and the threat of others like him she had kept denying herself the chance to be happy.

Jane turned the faucet on again so that she could splash her face in an attempt to remove some of the exhaustion, she knew it wouldn't work, but she hoped it might anyway. She quickly tied her hair back in a pony tail and slipped back into her room, where she changed into some comfortable sweatpants and a Red Sox jersey. The smell of coffee and bacon had wafted into her bedroom, causing Jane to smile, figuring that Maura had simply awoken early and was now preparing an obnoxiously early, for a Sunday, breakfast.

Her face scrunched up in a frown when she walked out to discover it was Frankie that had been preparing the delicious smelling breakfast. He handed her a mug of steaming coffee, all the while grinning a little sheepishly. "Maura had to go into work, so she asked me to come over and make you a healthy breakfast."

Jane looked sceptically at the copious amount of bacon getting crispier by the second and back at her goofy grinned brother. "I'm pretty sure that is not what Maura classes as a _healthy_ breakfast, little brother."

He just chuckled, "Hey what Maura don't know, won't kill her. Besides I get the feeling you could do with some salty bacon goodness!"

She nodded quietly, sliding onto a stool next to the kitchen counter so that she could watch her brother finish preparing their breakfast. She sipped at the coffee and felt like at least a small part of her was waking up. A contended sigh escaped her mouth when Frankie slid a plate with Bacon and toast in front of her. "Thanks, Frankie. Just what the doctor ordered… well you know, any other doctor not known as Isles."

Frankie rolled his eyes and sat down opposite Jane with his own plate and mug of coffee. "She's only lookin' out for ya."

Jane fought back a yawn. "Oh, I know." She bit down into a crispy rasher of bacon and her face melted into the most divine happiness, "But no woman should ever deny me this. God Frankie, this is good."

"It's nothin'." He watched on happily as his sister dug in energetically to the breakfast in front of her, glad to see some light in her eyes and a smile on her face. "So, Maura's been spending a fair amount of time here." He observed, mostly because it delighted him to tease his sister.

Jane shrugged nonchalantly, "Well yeah, she's my soul mate remember?" She spat back playfully, knowing exactly what he was trying to do. "Besides, when she's around it kinda helps me remember stuff." She looked down at her hands, dropping the toast, suddenly losing her appetite at the sight of her scars.

Frankie noticed the sudden wave of melancholy and sighed sadly. Maura had warned him what it could be like, she wasn't the post Hoyt Jane yet, but she wasn't really the pre Hoyt Jane either. He saw traces of the softer, more open woman he had grown up with and he really hoped she would stay around, because that woman would never be at risk of screwing up her relationship with Maura. Post Hoyt Jane on the other hand; well he honestly didn't know how she had managed to get Maura to fall in love with her in the first place. Sure she was still kind and loyal and protective, but she was sarcastic, over bearing, obnoxious and freakin' oblivious half the time to the hurt she inflicted when she was being over protective of Maura.

"You've been through a lot Janie, but Hoyt, he's dead. He's never coming back and you're okay and Maura's okay and you just gotta work through it." He wanted to say more; he wanted to tell her not to pull away from Maura in some misguided attempt to protect her, but he didn't know how. He didn't want to piss her off, so he just hoped that the fact Maura was around to help her through this Hoyt stuff as she remembered it, would make things different.

"I know," Jane said solemnly, "I just can't help thinking that Maura got hurt because of me ya know? I hate that thought." She sighed, because she knew what she was doing, she was finding excuses to run away from dealing with everything, because it was too hard and that meant withdrawing from Maura because she would not approve of such behaviour.

"Quit it Janie, right now. So help me God, if you freakin' start pushing Maura away I'll kick your ass." Frankie growled angrily, "You've got a fresh start, a chance to be happy and be the Jane I grew up with, around the one person who shines a light so damn bright into your life everything else means nothin'. She likes this softer side of you Jane, she's spent years trying to work you out because all you would give her were crumbs… that's all you gave any of us after Hoyt, but we put up with your sorry ass because we love you. She loves you. Don't fuck it up."

* * *

An amused smile curled at Maura's lips when she entered homicide's conference room, coffee in hand, to find that she had been very correct in her assumption that the federal agent could do with some perking up. Agent Blake rubbed blearily at her eyes as she swivelled on her chair to greet the doctor.

Maura smiled graciously and placed the coffee in front of Blake, "I thought you might be able to use this."

Blake exhaled tellingly as she wrapped both hands around the disposable cup. The coffee smelled tantalisingly good and tasted brilliant. "Mmm, thank you Doctor Isles. You thought correctly."

Maura stepped aside and glanced down at the photograph that was displayed on Agent Blake's laptop. It was a picture taken outside of Massachusetts General when she had run into Ryan on her way out. The picture reminded Maura of the vague feeling of unease she had experienced both then and when she had encountered him earlier in the week in the BPD lobby.

Blake followed Maura's eyes to the screen and then returned her gaze to the discontent that briefly played across the doctor's features before her collected professional exterior was slipped back into place. "How well do you know Ryan Leiland?"

The question shook Maura from her reverie; she pulled out a seat next to the agent and sat down. "How well does anybody really know anyone?"

"True, but you know what I mean." Blake declared pointedly.

Maura nodded softly as she contemplated the question seriously. "I would say that I am still getting to know Ryan, but I have known him for years."

"He's popped up a few times in surveillance since Detective Rizzoli had to make her choice." Blake observed, studying the doctor closely.

"Yes." Maura acknowledged, considering carefully the extent she wished to discuss the causality of this observation. Deciding to go with her gut feeling, something she considered Jane might just be proud of, she opened up with what information she had to share. "Jane and I went through a difficult time after she made her decision, as I am sure you're well aware, given her notable absence from my home after hours."

"Yeah, it was something we noticed, although she was never too far away when you were travelling to and from work." Blake noted dryly.

"Yes, she certainly has a protective streak. In any case, I ran into Ryan at a function approximately a week after Jane and I stopped speaking socially and we fell into a comfortable conversation. We talked a few times after that on the phone, before I agreed to meet him for a joint fundraiser that his charity was holding with the Isles Foundation." Maura explained.

"So you know him through these high society gatherings?"

"Yes, but it turned out he was quite a good listener. I do not tend to get along well with most people easily. I am socially inept at times I must confess. So it was quite nice to find someone I could converse with."

Agent Blake listened intently, not just to what Maura was saying, but what she wasn't. She felt like there was more to this than what was verbalised. "There's a but coming, right? I get the sense that you're a little uncomfortable with the thought of Mr Leiland."

"I can see why you're an investigator, Agent Blake." Maura complimented, before continuing. "I like to make my observations based on evidence. I do not tend to trust an intestinal feeling at all, but I have learned a lot from Jane over the years and she trusts her intestines more than most. I am getting the sense that Ryan has be showing up in my life a little too often lately, despite the fact we hit it off. He knows I have no romantic interest in anyone other than Jane, so in some sense I find his entire manner confusing."

"How so?"

"Looking back at our interactions now I see a trend of deep interest in Jane and how she was doing, or how we were doing. He never stayed on the topic too long, but it concerns me now that I think back on it. The fact is I have learned a lot from Jane socially, but I can still be very awkward and honestly he has dealt with that awkwardness all too well. It makes no sense at all, either way I look at it." Maura had to admit the more she thought about it, the worse she started to feel.

She had been so desperate for a new friend that she hadn't really considered the timing of everything. For Ryan to suddenly pay her enough attention, just a week after the terrible decision Jane had to make, seemed incongruous with the barely fleeting interest he had ever shown her in the past, and they had attended many of the same events.

Maura's eyes narrowed as she sifted through her memory and started processing the information she had on Ryan and the unidentified killer. Finally with a tilt of her head she said, "Ryan Leiland is highly intelligent and organised. His company created the base system that BPD uses on its computers. He has time and he has money and a keen interest in the well being of Jane. Honestly Agent Blake, as much as it pains me to say this, he would be my number one suspect."

"I dunno if I feel better hearing you say that or not, because that was the conclusion that Agent Mancini and I came to. The biggest problem we have though is tying him to any of this; he's been smart using someone from his own company, who remains missing, as a fall guy. Our genius technical analyst Penelope Garcia cannot track any of his work back to him… we're basically waiting on him to screw up."

"He will not stop Agent Blake, until he has destroyed Jane." This was the one fact that Maura was sure of, whether Ryan was the guilty party or not, it was very clear the killer wanted to drive Jane over the edge.

"Then we better do something to stop him first." Agent Blake said firmly, her brain already beginning to form the basis of a plan of action. "It's time we took the fight to Mr Leiland."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry that it took a couple of days, my muse and I were in disagreement... I rewrote this chapter three times. Anyway I hope you enjoy and thank you for continuing to support this story by reading and reviewing and following and favouriting and all things nice :)**


	27. Chapter 27

Following his chat with the FBI on Wednesday Ryan had felt his frustration grow and not with the investigation either. He was confident based on their questioning that they had nothing useful they could use, but they were certainly sniffing around, which made his patience run thin. This amnesia that Detective Rizzoli was experiencing was delaying her suffering and it was irritating. Furthermore he was starting to worry that Maura was losing patience for him, following their brief run in on Tuesday night and the next morning at the precinct; she had seemed perturbed and this angered him.

He really could not understand how Doctor Isles couldn't see that he only wanted what was best for her; that he appreciated her truly remarkable heart. She was a woman of great virtue; she truly subscribed to the oath of do no harm and she had a uniqueness about her that reminded him so much of his mother. Time had twisted the clarity of his memories somewhat, but in his mind his mother was a beacon of light that his father worshipped. He wanted to worship Maura in much the same manor; the feeling had crept up on him and perhaps if he had been in his right mind he would have realised that destroying Jane was not the way to her heart.

He wasn't in his right mind. He hadn't been since the day his mother and brother were taken from him and he was left with a once loving father that had turned cold and distant. His father looked at him sometimes with such hollow eyes that Ryan knew he had died that day. It motivated him to make the most of his natural abilities growing up and it sure took him a long way, but then his father died and that small thread of sanity that held back his twisted predilections snapped. Because his father was his hero, well the father he remembered through the rose coloured glasses of youth. The man had been the epitome of a good cop and husband; he was everything to aspire towards. He was… once.

Ryan rolled his neck from side to side to stretch out the kinks before kneeling down to stoke the fire. He added a couple more logs to the flames before standing and turning to look at his guest. They were in a log cabin in the woods an hour from Boston and he felt at home in the warm environment. Above the mantle a deer head was mounted and he briefly wondered how the animal had felt when it knew it's life force was draining away slowly.

He crossed the room and sat down on a wooden chair that looked to have been created by hand, it was sturdy but unique. He smiled genuinely as his guest's eyes furrowed in a slowly dawning realisation. "Hello, Jane."

He really wasn't surprised when she had nothing to say. She might be a bit banged up and a bit broken mentally, which honestly thrilled him, but she was still deep down a damn fine cop. He learned this the day she passed his test and in some ways he hated that he felt she needed to suffer, well hate might be too strong a word for what he felt. Still she had hurt Maura who was so clearly the source of all her real strength and in his mind, you just didn't do that.

Good cops didn't hurt the ones they loved. His father hadn't, well until the day he dragged his son out of the water instead of his wife, but then he had loved his son too. It wasn't his father's fault that the loss of his wife had ripped his soul asunder; in fact it only firmed Ryan's belief in the man's love for his mother. He was destroyed by her death, which Ryan felt was only a testament to their love. He never hated his father for the distance that grew between them; sure he missed the man he once was, but even as a child he understood, because he missed her too.

Ryan watched as Jane tested the strength of the rope that bound her hands behind a similar wooden chair to the one he sat on. Her feet were bound too and he was confident that the detective would be unable to break free. He cocked his head thoughtfully and spoke conversationally. "Maura really loves you detective. Do you remember that through all that fog in your memory?"

Jane gritted her teeth and pulled at her constraints angrily. She didn't know who this guy was, but she felt like he was a threat to Maura and that raised her hackles. She wasn't overly concerned by her position, despite it clearly indicating trouble and while on some level she found the calm confusing she trusted it. She eyed him carefully wanting to learn everything she could in the hopes she could eventually use it against him. She didn't want him talking about Maura, but refused to speak in return.

Ryan sighed theatrically. "You'll talk eventually Jane, I guarantee it."

He had no doubt that he would have the detective begging him to put her out of her misery by time he was done. He planned to find every single weak spot in her psyche and drive it home. He knew that Maura was her biggest weakness, but he also knew she was her biggest strength, which meant he needed to be considered in the ways he wore the detective down.

"She'd die for you, you know." He offered casually, leaning forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. He could see anger radiating from the woman, but now he could see confusion. He grinned, "That's right you don't remember do you?" Teasing her was going to be so much fun.

Ryan jumped up enthusiastically and crossed the room to an oak table where he had sat a duffel bag with the items he knew he would be needed to bring the detective undone. He dug around until he found his iPod and speakers. He plugged them in and cued up the track, turning to watch the detective he used the tiny remote to press play.

 _"_ _Detective Rizzoli, pull yourself together. There is only one decision to make here and you know it."_

 _"_ _Maura, I can't…"_

He paused the recording and sat back down in front of the detective. "You know what she's telling to you to do there Detective?"

Jane tried to lunge forward reflexively but sagged back into her seat quickly. She recognised the voices, but for the life of her she couldn't remember the details. She could however extrapolate a theory of what was going on based on the maniacal glee on his face.

"This would be so much more fun if you would just remember, detective." He pressed play on the remote again.

 _"_ _Alright you creep; I'll walk out of here with the girl. Doctor Isles is yours to do with as you wish."_

Jane's eyes went wide. "No," she growled, not believing for a moment she would ever do that to Maura. "I wouldn't," she croaked through an unbidden wave of emotion choking in her throat.

Ryan laughed and slapped his knee repeatedly. "But you did detective, and when you truly remember it will be glorious to watch."

 _"_ _An honourable decision Detective; I would dare say you actually deserve the title of Boston's finest but there is one more thing you must do before you can leave with the girl."_

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _You must press the ALT and F1 key together on the keyboard. That action will release the collar from around Tiffany's neck, and set off the explosive collar of Doctor Isles."_

"No!" Jane shook her head vehemently as hot tears slid down her cheek. "No. Stop you Bastard. She's fine. Maura's fine and I would never… I could never…"

Ryan frowned at his guest. "Jane, Jane, Jane… She is only alive because you had the fortitude to do the right thing and save the innocent."

"Then why am I here? What the hell are you doing this for?" The flood gates had well and truly been opened by the thought that she had condemned the woman she loves to death. She still felt detached from it because the memories were still hidden in the depths of her brain, but the mere implication was crushing. She remembered making love to Maura and how that felt and to combine that with the audio he was tormenting her with was confounding. What sort of person would make that sort of decision?

"Because you hurt her Detective."

"I would never…"

His eyes narrowed, he pointed his finger angrily and roared, "You took her to bed, let her believe you were making love and then you called it a _quick fuck_. You. Hurt. Her."

He saw the glint of recognition in her eyes, "Oh so that you do remember huh Detective?"

Jane swallowed thickly and held her chin up in defiance. "We all have a little asshole in us. I hate that I did that to her, but I was scared of what being with me meant for her."

He held up a finger, "Oh yes, just hold that thought." He returned to his duffel bag of goodies and located the scalpel. He turned back to the detective with a happy gleam in his eye. "That whole Hoyt thing was rather nasty business." He stalked toward her and slowly grazed the scalpel along her neck, with enough pressure so that she could feel it, but not enough to break the skin. "He was nothing but an evil psychopath."

"And you're not?" Jane couldn't help the retort, but kicked herself internally for goading the man standing over her with a scalpel. She swallowed thickly and followed him with her eyes, the fresh memories of Hoyt and his scalpels made her feel nauseous.

He shrugged and returned to his seat, all the while playing with the scalpel absently. He looked at Jane thoughtfully before deciding she might understand his missive. "Cops are here to protect us. They are meant to make the right call for the greater good, not be selfish and sacrifice those they shouldn't because they let their feelings get in the way. Life is not pretty, Detective, and sometimes sacrifices need to be made. I simply sort the wheat from the chaff."

"Your logic is fucked, you know? I passed your stupid test, at least so you tell me and yet here I am tied up because I made a mistake in my personal life?" Jane spat angrily.

"Good cops are good people Jane." He said matter-of-factly. "I had to reassess my decision regarding your worthiness after you hurt her. Good cops don't hurt the one's they love."

Jane recognised that there was definitely a few screws loose in his head and there was no point arguing. She could only hope that when he was done with her he would leave Maura alone. After all it sounded like his anger was with her and her alone, so she at least had a little hope. She dropped her eyes and agreed, "You're right. I get it."

Ryan studied her for several minutes before accepting her offering. "I'm glad you can understand. Still, I need you to remember it all Detective. I need you to remember."

Jane watched as his eyes glazed over and his mind clearly went elsewhere for a few minutes before he was suddenly up on his feet. He pulled a syringe from his duffel bag and crossed back over to her. "What are you doing?"

"Don't worry Jane; I'm not going to kill you. It's just time you went to sleep for a bit." He injected her with a dose of Ketamine and waited until she had passed out before untying her and moving her into the bedroom, where he hand cuffed her to one of the posts in the bed head. He hoped that his audio recordings would trigger some memories in her dreams, because he had no intention of taking her life. He still wanted her to end by her own hand because that would be his ultimate satisfaction.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh we took a little jump, next chapter will explain how we got here. I apologise for the delay, I had my muse telling me to write something else, and then I was frustrated, and then I needed to be sure of the direction and plan out the last of this one. Anyways I hope you enjoy this update, thanks as usual to all who read and review.**


	28. Chapter 28

_"_ _I'd choose you Maur, every time."_

 _There was a haunting reverence to the words that flowed repeatedly through her consciousness. It was pervasive the way the words seeped into her every pore and pulled at the very core of her being._

 _Her eyelids felt like they were weighed down with lead. She tried to open her eyes but it just wasn't happening. Instead she focused on other senses. The air smelled damp and the ground beneath her fingertips felt cold and grainy. The silence that surrounded her was unnerving._

 _Determinedly she pushed up onto her knees, rocking back onto her legs folded beneath her. She felt the darkness as much as she saw it when her eyelids finally pried apart. She unsteadily clambered to her feet and stood in the dark, her eyes slowly adjusting. She could see several shapes in the shadows as she lurched forward shakily._

 _The thump-thump of her heart pushing blood rapidly throughout her body pounded loudly in her ears. The foggy cloud that lingered over her mind kept pertinent information just out of reach. She felt frustration build within as her thoughts swirled uselessly. Where was she? Why was she here? Where was Maura?_

 _Maura._

 _All other thoughts ceased when the honey blonde's smiling face flashed through her mind. Calming warmth washed over her body and a genuine smile curled her lips upwards. Home._

 _"_ _Maura." Her voice was throaty and rough, but the acceptance and understanding was unmistakeable. Maura was her definition of home._

 _"_ _Every time." Unwavering belief._

 _She stood stock still until a bright light engulfed her, at which point she brought her hands to her eyes until the light faded away and she found herself standing in Maura's kitchen. Her hands dropped to her side as she soaked in her surroundings and the sudden warmth at her back. She looked down and saw hands clasped together on her stomach. A trace of vanilla in the air brought on a wide grin as she turned into the arms that held her. "God Maura, I've missed you."_

 _Maura smiled brightly, taking Jane by the hand and leading her upstairs to the bedroom. "I've missed you too, Jane. More than you know."_

 _She nodded numbly, following readily. "Feels like I've been so lost, ya know? But now I'm home where I belong, with you." She tugged on Maura's hand, pulled the petite woman flush against her front before leaning down and kissing her tenderly. "Finally," she whispered as she pulled away._

 _Maura smiled coyly before continuing their journey to her bedroom. Closing the door behind them she turned to face Jane, her smile gone, replaced with a wild visceral rage. "Is this all I am to you Jane?" She asked bitterly._

 _"_ _Huh, what are you talking about Maur?" She was confused. One moment Maura was smiling, the next… well the next she was making no sense at all._

 _Maura poked her finger angrily into Jane's sternum, "Am I just a quick fuck to you Jane? Is that all I am to you?"_

 _"_ _What? God no Maura. Why the hell would you say that?" There was a nagging feeling of course, telling her there was an obvious reason, but she couldn't decipher it. All that she could do was reach out for Maura in the hopes her touch could ease her suffering. Her hands closed on thin air as Maura dissipated in front of her. Searing pain shot through her chest as she dropped to her knees with angry sobs wracking her body. She reached out helplessly into the air where Maura had been, seeking contact that she couldn't find._

 _"_ _Please…" her sobs cut through her body, choking the air from her lungs. "Please Maura, I'm so sorry."_

 _"_ _I was willing to die for you Jane…" Maura spoke meekly from behind her. "I would have died for you and that's how you repaid me."_

 _Jane pushed her way back to her feet and turned to see Maura sitting on the bed, her knees tucked under her chin while her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She seemed so small and broken. Her heart ached for Maura; she stumbled forward and fell to her knees at the side of the bed. She reached her hands out before letting them drop onto the mattress. "I'm so sorry Maura. God, I'm such a fucking mess. You deserve so much more than what I can give you, but Christ I love you. It's always been you."_

 _She ran her hand through her hair nervously. She needed Maura to understand that no matter how much she screwed up in the past that she now understood. "Ya know, sometimes people think that home is a place…" she watched as Maura lifted her teary eyed gaze and bore right through into her soul, "It can be a person."_

Jane's eyes flashed open as the last of her declaration fell from her lips, "You're that person." It wasn't until she attempted to roll out of bed and discovered she was cuffed to it that her brain cleared up enough to remember where she was.

She threw herself angrily down onto her back and seethed silently, vowing internally to do whatever it took to get back to Maura. She remembered now, the important things, the mistakes she made, the decision she made and while it caused her body to shudder, it fortified her will. Maura would have willingly given her life for her own and by Christ, Jane was not going to stop until she knew how damn loved she was. She didn't know how, but she knew she would find her way home, back to Maura.

* * *

 _Eight hours earlier_

Maura shook her head vehemently, "No, Agent Blake that is a terrible idea. Jane is in no shape to go through with such a ruse and honestly, she might just want to hurt you for even suggesting it."

Blake frowned, "It is not like we would just send you out there with him alone. We would have agents following your every move, which honestly he should be expecting anyway. The idea is to get a little closer to him and you do seem to be his ultimate goal."

"Ryan has proven highly intelligent thus far. Do you really think he would believe Jane and I fought so badly that I would turn to him for comfort?" She had heard some crazy plans in her time, most often falling out of Jane's mouth, but this one certainly came out a clear number one where ridiculous plans were concerned.

"I think that you're his weakness, Doctor Isles. I think everything that has happened since he deviated from his usual pattern is because of you. Because of that I think this plan is crazy enough it might actually work." Agent Blake stood from where she had been sitting and debating with Maura for a solid half an hour. "I need another coffee, did you need anything?"

"To go home to Jane," Maura replied automatically.

"Just let me get a coffee and give me another half hour of your time and then if you're still not happy I'll go back to the drawing board and you can go back to Detective Rizzoli. Deal?"

As frustrating as the entire situation was and as nervous as she was leaving Jane for so long she nodded in agreement, because something had to be done to stop Ryan. "As you wish, Agent Blake." She just hoped something a little more logical could be settled upon.

Before Blake could leave the confines of the conference room her phone rang. She pulled it from her belt and answered attentively when she saw the caller ID. "Rodriguez, what's the situation?"

" _Got eyes on Rizzoli leaving the building with a man that matches description of Mrs McCluskey's nephew. Doesn't feel right._ " Agent Rodriguez reported from his position outside Jane's apartment building.

"Intercept them Rodriguez, bring him in for questioning and have Daye stay with Rizzoli." Agent Blake ordered authoritatively. She cast a nervous glance towards Maura who listened to her end of the phone conversation with growing concern.

" _Yes ma'am…_ " A loud explosion roared down the line before the connection died.

"Rodriguez?" Blake exclaimed loudly into the phone before lifting panic stricken eyes to lock onto the concerned hazel orbs of Doctor Isles. "We have to go, now!"

"What's happening? Is Jane alright?" Maura asked nervously, her heels click clacking loudly as she hurried after the FBI Agent, who was already on the phone again.

"Mancini, we have a problem. Get to Rizzoli's now!" Taking a moment between calls to look over her shoulder as she navigated the halls of the Boston Police Department, Blake said, "Rizzoli just left her apartment building with someone and," she wondered if she should elaborate on her fears before deciding keeping anything from Doctor Isles would never end well. "Sounded like an explosion before the line went dead… hence the hurry."

The women slid into the elevator and Agent Blake pressed the button for the lobby angrily, a fearful feeling clawing at her insides. She had just lost two men, she knew it. She glanced sideways at the doctor and could feel the dread rolling off the woman. She shook her head and closed her eyes; the whole case had been one fucking screw-up after another.

"I'm so, so, sorry," she muttered to the air around her. Not really sure if she was apologising to Maura for the fact that Detective Rizzoli was no doubt now missing, or to her agents that were probably dead, blown to smithereens. Either way, she was just so incredibly sorry and more than ready to put a bullet between the eyes of the perpetrator.

* * *

Jane didn't know how long she had been lying awake waiting for her captor to return, she just knew the nasty headache left over from the drug she had been injected with was unpleasant. She tried to will herself back to sleep but her brain had decided that it was time to revisit all the memories tied to the situation she found herself in. She longed for the dreams of an angry Maura; they were better than the technicolour of her memories of the warehouse, Maura and the girl. Memories of pressing the keys on the laptop and walking away in a daze couldn't be tempered by the subsequent memory of falling into Maura's arms outside the warehouse and sobbing.

She would not find any peace as the pain in her chest only increased as each new memory flashed through her mind. Her heart constricted painfully and if she hadn't known any better she would have thought the emotional pain was giving her a heart attack. It would serve her right as far as she was concerned. Yes she wanted to fight and get back to her warmth, her home, her safe place… her Maura, but doubts plagued her mind. How could Maura possibly want her after all that she had done?

Jane sighed, of course Maura wanted her, because that was the unbelievably kind, caring, loyal person the medical examiner was. She looked right through all her faults and the danger and just saw Jane. She saw a paragon of justice and as much as Jane loathed the decision she had made, she knew deep down it had been the just decision, even if the cost would have destroyed her. A smirk tugged at her lips when she realised that this killer had really truly underestimated their connection. He had let Maura live and that would be his undoing, because as long as she breathed, Jane had something to live for.

* * *

 _Six hours earlier_

"No sign of them at the airport, train station or bus depots. We've increased presence, but it doesn't look like he's taking her out of the city via public transit." Nina Holiday explained dutifully to the others taking up position in BRIC. "Garcia is working her magic as we speak to tap into Ryan's network in the hopes of finding anything useful."

SSA Hopkins stood tall despite the desire to slump his shoulders in resignation. This was a manhunt now and he no longer cared about the legality of how they retrieved the information on where Ryan was located. They just needed to locate him. The rest would take care of itself. Two agents had been killed and he would see their killer brought in, one way or another. "Any luck with his local properties?" His voice boomed with a strength that hid his pain.

"No sir," Agent Blake answered solemnly. Her eyes skirted the room to assess the demeanour of those present. Her partner was pacing back and forth and no doubt risking the wrath of their boss, but he had a lot of pent up energy and she couldn't blame him.

Detective Sergeant Korsak sat with his head in his hands. She sighed, it was all too personal for him, she knew that Detective Rizzoli was somewhat like a daughter to the grizzled homicide veteran and couldn't imagine how hard it was for him. She knew that Frankie Rizzoli was out on the streets chasing down whatever lead he could to locate his sister. Doctor Isles wasn't present; she was down in the morgue working with Doctor Lawrence, needing to keep busy.

Hopkins glanced around the room and recognising the falling moral he snapped, "We're going to find Detective Rizzoli and we're going to end this, tonight. So lift your damn heads high and act like the damn fine law enforcement officers you are!" He met everyone in the room with a steady glare before striding out of the room to go and see Lieutenant Cavanaugh.

Korsak stood and looked pointedly at Mancini and Blake. "Just tell me Jane is still alive." He hated the doubt that weighed his soul, but the facts spoke to him like it was a foregone conclusion that his one time partner was lost to them by now. It had been two hours since she had gone missing, and while he liked to believe that if the perpetrator had wanted her dead he would have simply killed her at her apartment, he just didn't know what to think anymore. The sick psychopath was devolving and that meant all bets were off.

"Hey," Agent Mancini said with a surprising softness, "This sick fuck woulda just paid someone to slit her throat if he wanted her dead. Nah there's more to this Korsak, she's alive. I know it."

"Right, then let's damn well figure out where she is so we can end this." Korsak said forcefully, the small seed of hope being all he needed to buck up. "So we haven't found any sign of him at any of his properties. What about Eric Haynes, the missing fall guy? He got any properties in the greater Boston area?"

Nina quickly typed into the keyboard at her fingertips and started a search. After a few moments she shook her head, "There's nothing outside the apartment in his name. I'll expand my search into his family and see if they have any properties that would be a possibility."

 _Hold on Janie,_ Korsak thought solemnly, _we're gonna find ya!_

* * *

 **A/N: We're fast closing in on the end, I apologise if it might take a few days at a time for subsequent chapters. I'm just not in the prolific writing place at the moment. Anyways I hope this chapter sets us up nicely... as usual thank you for reading, reviewing, following, favouriting. I appreciate you all so, so much.**

 **Oh and cookies for anyone who can pick the little homages to a couple of other shows in here... one is obvious... and the other... is a line of dialogue...**


	29. Chapter 29

_Four hours earlier_

Maura's hands curled tightly around her red _Keep Calm and Buy Shoes_ mug that Jane had given her several months prior. There had naturally been a cheeky grin and sarcastic remark delivered with the mug, but Maura had simply smiled broadly and thanked Jane graciously. After all, it really was the perfect gift for the medical examiner. Unfortunately neither the memory nor the cooling contents of the mug brought Maura any comfort. She sat at her desk rigidly, eyeing Agent Blake carefully as the federal investigator made herself comfortable on the couch.

Agent Geneva Blake was tired and if it wasn't for the fact she was sitting in the office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with the corpses of two colleagues tucked away in the cooler awaiting autopsy, she may have even admitted to feeling dead tired. As it was the entire cluster fuck of an investigation now came down to the computer geeks to find some sort of lead they were missing, because without one, Detective Rizzoli was going to join the ever mounting death toll. Blake believed they still had time, but how much time depended entirely on the mental state of the missing detective.

"We'll find her." Blake surprised not only Maura, but herself with the confidence her voice exuded.

She wanted to feel confident and have faith that things would end well, but she couldn't help but wonder if Jane had run out of lives. The horrors she had endured before coming out the other side, the numerous times she should have died... well Maura couldn't help but wonder. Still she focused on the incredible will of Jane Rizzoli to survive, she was by definition a survivor, the close calls testament to just that. It was an internal battle that raged constantly within the medical examiner and she would be the first to admit that the change in her relationship with Jane only made her fears more prevalent. More than ever Maura could not afford to lose Jane Rizzoli from her life and as such her fear was almost debilitating.

Maura's shoulders dropped minutely, and she inhaled and exhaled steady breaths in an attempt to calm her nerves. "I just wish there was more that I could do."

"There is. We're gonna discuss Ryan so I can get a better handle on him, so that when we do have a location I can resolve this peacefully."

Maura sunk further down into her chair, it was unladylike and not at all the professional manner with which she liked to present herself, but the situation warranted it. There was no peaceful resolution coming. "That's not going to happen, Agent Blake. I will offer what ever insight I can into Ryan, but this situation will not end peacefully. He is not just going to let Jane go and he is unlikely to allow himself to be taken alive. He could well take Jane with him if he feels threatened."

Blake sighed, because deep down she knew Doctor Isles was spot on. Her biggest concern with the entire situation once they found his location was his propensity to use explosive devices. She already had the bomb squad on standby for the moment they had a location, but knew they were going to be walking in blind and that left Detective Rizzoli in a precarious position. She leaned forward, her forearms resting on her knees while she looked Maura head on. "She's not dying on my watch, Doctor Isles. There's been enough death and I for one refuse to accept anything less than success."

"I'll hold you to your word, Agent Blake."

"You do that." The incessant pounding in her head caused the agent to rub at her temple tentatively before flopping back unceremoniously on the couch. "This case will be the death of me…" as soon as the words had slipped out of her mouth she realised the absolute poor taste, "Crap I'm sorry, that's really just… yeah." Blake threw her hands up and then let them drop, her exaggerated gesticulation drawing a slight smile from Maura.

"Indeed an unfortunate wording that I genuinely hope is not prophetic in any manner."

"I haven't had near enough sleep in the past forty eight hours, but nonetheless… and honestly Doctor Isles, at this point I think you should just call me Geneva. We're in this together, and I'm rather tired of the formality."

There was surely some irony in the request given Blake had used Maura's formal title and this only amused Maura. A moment of respite from the swirling dark thoughts that clouded her mind. "Then you must also call me Maura, Geneva."

"Touché."

Silence thickened the air between them as both women fell back into their own worlds for a short time. Blake couldn't help but watch Maura as she was lost to her thoughts. The emotions that passed over the medical examiner's face told the true story of the fear that was being held back and it made the agent ache a little for her. She coughed into her hand to bring Maura out of her thoughts before speaking. "This situation is crappy and it does us no good to focus on what we can't change right now. So tell me about her, Maura. Tell me about Detective Jane Rizzoli and don't tell me what I can read in her jacket… tell me about the real Jane Rizzoli."

Maura frowned, "I really don't see…"

"You need to stop thinking about what might happen, it's dragging you under and Rizzoli needs you. So yes, this is relevant. Tell me about who she is to you." Blake needed Maura to keep it together, not that she could really blame the woman for the cracks appearing in her professional façade. She had experienced almost as much trauma as Detective Rizzoli and as such it was only natural she would reach a point where it was overwhelming, but Blake needed to keep her in the game.

It was an interesting concept for Maura to try and put into words the impact of Jane in her life. She tilted her head in assessment of Agent Blake before finally nodding in agreement and moving from her position behind her desk to one of the more comfortable arm chairs beside the couch.

An unbidden smile curled at her lips as her brain was inundated with memory after memory of the brazen detective. "Honestly, Jane is absolutely beyond any doubt the most infuriating person I have ever encountered."

Agent Blake laughed heartily at the unexpected nature of the response; it was the exact break in seriousness that they both needed. "She's certainly a whirlwind of combustible attitude."

"She's an incredibly intelligent woman but she likes to pretend otherwise when it suits her. She would deliberately refer to my African Spurred Tortoise as a turtle knowing full well I could not let it slip and would have to correct her. She gets great enjoyment out of eliciting the same reaction time and again, as if my quirky tendencies were not rudimentary." Maura shook her head softly at the thought, mirth in her eyes and the smile only growing larger. "Irrefutably infuriating and yet all I can honestly do is roll my eyes and shake my head at myself for falling for the line time and time again."

"Sounds like she just didn't know a better way of telling you how much she cared."

"Jane has never been one for telling, she's definitely a take action kind of woman. Although honestly when it came to her feelings for me the rate of realisation before she took action was simply glacial. I'm not the most adept in social situations. I consider myself to be quite awkward in part due to my literal nature, but even a blind man could see Jane's attraction… and she calls herself a detective." Maura chuckled a little at her own joke before sobering up as she wished Jane had been there to hear it. "Without Jane I would still be known as _Queen of the Dead_ or _Doctor Death_ , which thankfully is no longer the case."

Blake winced a little at the nicknames, "People can be such jerks."

"Yes they can." Maura acknowledged, her gaze dropping to her hands folded neatly in her lap. Her thoughts drifted further and she let out a small sigh, "Jane is very uncompromising, as you may have noticed… Geneva." A slight pause as her brain interjected the friendlier term before the automatic formal term _Agent Blake_ escaped her lips.

"And yet I find that she will be quite compromising when I ask nicely." A teasing grin lit up her face, "Of course she doesn't realise that I know that I have her wrapped around my finger."

Blake could see the sadness still lingering under the surface and she also knew enough of the doctor to know that what she really needed in this moment was a friend. She smiled sadly and said, "I can see that it hasn't been easy for you this week, but you have hung in there like a champ. She's lucky to have you Maura; you do know that, right?"

"No it has not been easy," Maura decided to leave the second question alone, as she honestly couldn't be sure that her presence was as wonderful for Jane as others might suggest. She was still highly regimented and that meant she had sometimes unfair expectations of the detective, she really didn't think she was that easy to be around at times.

Blake decided to let that part of the conversation go, instead opting to share a little of her own history in the hopes of building a stronger connection. "My mother is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's, and it absolutely kills me when she doesn't recognise us. She was a university professor, simply brilliant mind and now it's nothing more than the rarest glimpse in that moment of lucidity and awareness that she has. It's clearly not the same thing that you've been experiencing with Rizzoli, but I can begin to understand how it must feel."

"Yes… I never could understand the idea of an emotional feeling being described as heart crushing or soul destroying really, until that very moment she looked at me and I was nothing more than a complete stranger. I'm not sure that feeling is ever going to leave me and I have the good fortune of knowing that she is making progress. I cannot begin to comprehend the level of heartache your mother's condition must bring you and I am truly sorry that it is something you both must endure."

Blake waved away the sympathy, "It is what it is. I just wanted you to know that I do get it." Really when she thought about it Geneva Blake understood a lot more than the effects of the amnesia on Maura, she also understood that permanent fear that comes with caring for a cop. Worse than that she understood the reality of that person not coming home and in many ways it is what spurred her on in her determination to bring Jane home safely. Sure she was angry for her own lost agents, but on some level they knew the score. She wanted to resolve this not so much to save a fellow law enforcer, but to save her loved one.

She chewed anxiously on her thumb nail, an unfortunate habit she developed in childhood and never grew out of. She wanted to connect with the woman sitting beside her, but she knew it was a topic that could spiral everything back into the negative. "I know you're worried about Jane, but I have faith that she'll be alive when we find her. I know that moment as you said is going to be the greatest risk for her safety, but Maura I'm going to do everything I can to ensure that she comes outta this alive."

Maura studied the agent closely and nodded softly when she felt satisfied with the legitimacy of that statement. After all it was one thing to say you would do everything you possibly could and another to actually carry through. There was something about the look in Blake's eyes that conveyed the seriousness of the agent. "I believe you. I just honestly hope it will be enough."

"It's just… I understand what you're going through right now, especially knowing that there's nothing we can do about it until we receive a place to look. My father was a cop in Detroit, and growing up he was in quite a few scrapes. It was one of the hardest things to deal with…"

Maura closed her eyes and swallowed down her emotions. She knew exactly that feeling, "Not knowing if he would come home each night. Yes, I do believe you understand my fears, especially now."

"Yeah," Blake said, her mind drifting back to one of the worst nights of her life. "One night he didn't come home," she swallowed thickly, "And so I mean it when I tell you I'll do any damn thing I can to keep Jane safe. I'm giving that word because I know what it's like when they don't come home and I don't want you to feel that Maura, not on my watch."

Maura had to wipe the tears that spilled away roughly. She didn't feel comfortable with the show of emotion, but she recognised that Agent Blake was sharing a small part of herself in an effort to assuage her fears. "Thank you Geneva. I know we cannot truly predict the future, but it does comfort me to know that someone out there wants to bring Jane home as much as I do. I am terribly sorry for the loss you endured as a child. It really does feel as though life has been unkind to your family."

Agent Blake sat up straighter and leaned forward towards Maura. Ignoring the kind words directed her way she looked past the conversation and into hazel eyes that spoke of a person fighting desperately to hold on to their faith. "We're going to bring her home so that she can infuriate you for years to come."

And that was that. One way or another, Blake knew she wouldn't rest until this wrong was righted. The world needed Maura Isles, and Maura Isles needed Jane Rizzoli.

* * *

 **A/N: So I wanted to delve into Maura's feelings a little bit, but... then it sort of turned into character development for an OC as well, but hey... I think it just adds to what is coming. Anyways I hope you all enjoy this particular update and as usual thank you to all those who read and review, fave and follow. This has become by far my most well received fiction and I guess my goal is 400 reviews before the story is done... which I guess if I have 4 or 5 more chapters should be easy... but I am not sure how many are to come.**


	30. Chapter 30

_Two hours earlier_

" _Good news my lovelies, I have finally cracked Mr Leiland's network and I have now seen things I cannot un-see. I have discovered his father's identity, a former police officer based out of Revere, Peter Leiland. He passed away two months ago._ " Penelope Garcia stated from the comfort of her technological lair in the Federal Building in Washington DC. Her image streamed into the BRIC, where the taskforce had assembled, desperate for information.

"Got a location for us Garcia?" SSA Hopkins queried, steering the blonde computer whiz in the direction of the pertinent information.

" _Indeed I do sir. I've texted through an address on Nichewaug Road in Petersham, it's an hour and a half out of the city and the property belongs to another systems administrator that works for Mr Leiland, a John Finch. Just like Mr Haynes, Mr Finch hasn't been at work in the last six weeks._ "

"You're absolutely sure?" Hopkins didn't want to send his team on a wild goose chase, not with a detective's life at stake.

" _There are no properties in his father's name, and his properties within driving distance of the city have already been cleared. Working on the profile made by agents Blake and Mancini regarding his intention to stay near by, then the address in Petersham belonging to missing employee John Finch would be the most logical site. It's a large rural property, log cabin well and truly off the road._ "

"It would offer the seclusion he needed. I'd say it's our best bet boss." Mancini came to the support of Garcia, trusting her thoroughness to know that this was quite possibly their last lead that would get them to Rizzoli in time. If this didn't pan out, then Ryan was going way off book and would prove difficult to locate.

"Alright then. Let's move out!" Hopkins barked.

" _Be safe my darlings,_ " Garcia called out to the room as the team started moving out hurriedly. She severed the video call and sent out a prayer for the team to rescue Detective Rizzoli without incident.

* * *

Ryan shoved Jane down onto the rickety seat she had previously been on and cuffed her hands behind the back of the chair. He placed the gun down on the table next to the duffel where he retrieved a USB stick, which he plugged into the side of the flat screen television mounted on the wall. He retrieved the remote control for the television from a small bookcase tucked into the alcove created by the gap between the fireplace and the front wall. He was ready to continue his psychological torture of the detective.

Returning to the seat he had placed opposite Jane he grinned devilishly and said, "You're going to love tonight's feature presentation."

Jane had decided not to fight back when he had grabbed her from the bed, she was still feeling groggy and the feel of cold steel pressed against the back of her neck had been threatening enough for the detective to bide her time. She took the time to glance around her surroundings, noting that the front door opened directly into the living area. The front windows were boarded up from the inside, and the table was by the inside wall and a couch backed onto the far wall, where more windows were boarded up. There were two doorways, one led to a kitchenette and the other to a hall, which had connected to three other doors. She had been kept in a bedroom behind the first door, she surmised that the others doors were for another bedroom and a bathroom. She couldn't be sure if there was a back entrance, but she figured it might be through the kitchenette.

She also focused on gathering information from her captor, in the hopes of determining a course of action. Was he someone she could reason with? Or was she going to have to try and fight her way out despite the less than stellar circumstances? The two mistakes he had already made on the return to the living area were using handcuffs, and not tying her feet. She knew that if necessary she could dislocate a thumb and yank her hand free of the cuffs and without impediments on her feet she would be a fighting chance. Of course dislocating her thumb would be incredibly painful and he would be made aware of what she was doing rather quickly, so she had to consider her timing if she were to do that. For the time being she was willing to bide her time and try to talk her way out of the situation.

"Oh goodie. I've been meaning to take the time to catch a movie." She remarked sarcastically.

Ryan chuckled malevolently as he twisted his body so that he could use the remote to turn the television on and navigate to the mp4 file he wished to torment Jane with. He hit play on the Go Pro footage of his hired assassin thrusting his knife into Detective Riley Cooper. He turned back to watch Jane as the footage played out on the television. "Don't look away detective, or I will shoot you."

Jane flinched but kept her eyes on the screen, she hadn't yet remembered this act and while she found it tasteless and horrendous it didn't really tug at her feelings until the moment at the end where the killer had stopped his escape and turned to see Jane bending over her fallen partner. She swallowed thickly as the footage replayed on a loop, ingraining itself into her memory and pulling at the strings through the fog of her amnesia to pull her trigger event into the light.

"Turn it off," she rasped painfully, eyes boring into the sadistic blue of her captor. "Please."

Ryan laughed happily and paused the footage at the point where Jane bent over Riley. "It's your fault she's dead detective. Your partner is dead because you decided to drown your sorrows in a bar instead of working the case."

"It wasn't even my fucking case anymore you sick bastard," Jane growled angrily. "You killed cops, you made it federal!"

"I beg to differ detective. I did not kill a single officer of the law. They chose to end their own lives and as for your partner, well that wasn't me." He replied with a condescending calmness that was only serving to grate her nerves.

Behind her back Jane's hands were flexing in and out of fists as her anger was difficult to contain. "You killed their souls," she ground out through her teeth, "You're the reason they killed themselves."

"Like I said Detective, I was only sorting the wheat from the chaff. They didn't have the right to serve the public. They were selfish right up until their painful bitter ends. Would you like to see Detective?" Ryan took great delight in the flashes of horror and disgust that crossed Jane's face at his offer.

Jane closed her eyes and shook her head. The more memories that filtered out of the fog of her amnesia the better the picture she was building about the guy who was enjoying tormenting her. She remembered thinking there was a twisted sense of honour with his original method of killing, but his fixation on her for mistreating Maura in his eyes had dragged him so far off the reservation mentally that she didn't know what to make of him. She decided it was time to be more confronting and fill in the rest of the blanks in her mind. "What are you hoping for? I'm not gonna kill myself. If you want me to die you're gonna have to do it yourself ya sick fuck."

"Perhaps, but perhaps in time the full weight of what has happened because of you will pull you down. I must admit this trauma induced amnesia of yours has proven frustrating to say the least. I honestly expected you to eat your own gun within a day of Detective Cooper's demise." Ryan had no qualms in being open with Jane, as he intended her to die one way or another. He was still quite willing to work for his desired outcome of suicide, after all to reduce the heroic Jane Rizzoli to eating her own gun would be an achievement that even the evil sociopath Charles Hoyt would have been impressed by.

She tightened her jaw and fixed him with a steely gaze, "You will have to kill me yourself." Because there was no way she was going to voluntarily allow this man unfettered access to Maura. His fixation on her beloved was something she had noticed and it had caused her mind to go into over drive in trying to figure out the nagging theory that wouldn't quite visualise. She felt like deep down she knew who he was, she just had to put the pieces together.

Ryan shrugged. "Perhaps I will and when you're gone, Maura is going to have to turn to someone."

His teeth baring grin was nauseating for the detective, but it had amounted to his third mistake. She now knew that he had at some stage placed himself in Maura's life. She cocked her head and offered the cockiest grin she could muster, "Really Ryan? Do you really think she won't figure you out? She's a genius, moron."

His eyes widened for a moment before he snarled angrily, "I'm very good at manipulating people Detective… I got you here didn't I?"

Jane scoffed, "Oh yeah great manipulation that. All you manipulated was my memory. Wouldn't have worked on me at my peak."

He waved his hand at her dismissively, "Doesn't matter Detective, I got you here and you came willingly, well to a point."

"Yeah, blowing up the feds was a big giveaway that you were trouble." She had him in easy gloating conversation and knew she could keep him talking, but she still wasn't sure what direction to push him. The fact his eyes gave away that he was indeed Ryan, the _new friend_ of Maura's changed a few things with regards to the risks she was willing to take. She had to keep him away from Maura at any cost, even her own life. "Of course, I'm pretty sure kidnapping me was never something you planned, which means you were probably sloppy and you know what sloppy means? Sloppy means they're gonna catch your sorry ass."

Thunder bellowed loudly overhead as the heavens opened up and rain rattled off the tin roof. A storm had rolled in and it felt rather fitting to the detective and gave her a little more hope, assuming of course that the taskforce had figured out where she was. The weather would provide a little extra cover from approaching footsteps. She hoped the weather would hold out until the cavalry arrived; she refused to think that the cavalry wasn't coming because while she had been taunting him, she had been taunting him with the truth. He would have been sloppy and God damnit they would be coming for her.

"Enough," he growled, clearly perturbed by her audacity to claim he would have been anything less than perfect. He was always so considered with his planning, even his abduction of the detective. "They have no clue Detective; they are running around like lost puppies with their tails between their legs!"

Jane smirked, "I guess we'll see about that."

* * *

The taskforce convoy, four black SUVs strong, and the bomb squads van pulled up alongside the property they had been directed to by Garcia. The property boundary was lined by wire fencing and large privacy providing hedging. The gate on the drive was open, and the bomb squad set to checking the drive for any surprise explosive booby traps, but there weren't any. If anything Agent Blake suspected they might be needed for another collar explosive, but she hoped to God she was wrong.

The taskforce was fitting their Kevlar vests and sorting their weaponry when the heavens opened up. It was now cold, dark and wet. Agent Blake regarded Maura thoughtfully before saying, "Stay in the car Maura, Rizzoli will kill me if anything happens to you. It's almost over now, we've got this."

Maura glared stoically, having used the car ride to channel the inner steel she needed to deal with the situation. She had argued her way into the lead SUV with Hopkins, Mancini and Blake, but knew that the safest and smartest thing was to do as she was told. "Bring her home to me, Agent Blake."

Blake nodded stiffly, adjusted her vest one more time and turned to lead her team up the driveway towards the cabin. The team kept their flashlight beams low and away from windows, just in case it drew attention to their infiltration. They crouched low, approached slowly and kept sound to a minimum knowing that surprise was their best weapon. Blake used hand signals to send several members of the team around the back of the cabin in search of a rear entrance, while she, Mancini and Hopkins flattened out next to the front door. The windows being boarded up meant they didn't have any eyes on the situation, and going in blind was the last thing they had wanted, but what they had expected.

The sound of a scuffle from inside the cabin alarmed the trio standing at the front door and with knowing nods it was agreed they had to infiltrate immediately. Blake tried the door just in case, but it was locked. Looking at Mancini he nodded stiffly before backing up and kicking the door in. Blake and Mancini entered the cabin with weapons drawn just in time to see Jane standing over Ryan with a gun pointed at his head.

* * *

Jane had recognised Ryan's increased restlessness and knew she had to make a move. When Ryan turned his back to return to his duffel bag of tricks she yanked harshly on her thumb dislocating it with a low growl of, "Mother fucker!" She pulled her hand through the cuff and gained freedom of movement with her hands.

She jumped up and grabbed at the back of Ryan's head and tried to slam it down into the table but he braced his hands and prevented the blow that may have rendered him unconscious. Before he could turn around Jane drove her knee up into his back and clocked him around the back of the head with her elbow before heaving him across the room so she could retrieve the gun that had been knocked further back on the table.

Neither she nor Ryan heard Mancini bust in the door, but by time Jane had retrieved the gun and stood over Ryan she found him grinning up at her maniacally. "What the hell are you grinning for you fool? It's over."

Ryan let his eyes drop to the hand in front of his chest, the hand holding an M67 fragment grenade safety trigger in place. The pin had already been pulled and once he let go of the safety trigger they had four to five seconds before detonation. "Contingency plan," he smirked up at the detective as her eyes dropped to his last hurrah. He wouldn't survive, but neither would she and in his eyes that was victory enough.

Jane's eyes went wide at the realisation that she was fucked. Well and truly fucked. She couldn't shoot him because he would drop the grenade and it would be over and if she tried to retreat he'd cook her with the grenade anyway. She dropped the gun hand to her side and closed her eyes and conjured up an image of Maura. "Go ahead and do it," she rasped defiantly.

"Goodbye, Detective." Ryan released the safety trigger.

The next moments went by in a blur for Jane as she felt a pair of strong hands pull her back and down to the floor. She felt a heavy body roll and cover her. Out of her periphery she saw a blur of colour launch at Ryan's position. Jane just focused on the image of a smiling Maura in her mind and whispered her final words, "Love you Maur."

* * *

The sound of the explosion rocked the night air, melting right in with the thunder that rolled. Maura's head snapped up at the sound, panic only setting in when she heard the sudden commotion of people yelling up the drive way. Her body operated on its own accord as she stepped out of the SUV and started the walk up the long drive way. Rain pelted at her skin, biting at her flesh and chilling her to the bone, but she persisted, drawn on by an invisible force as the voices drifted to her on the wind.

" _The bastard had a fucking grenade._ "

She felt the blood pounding in her ears as her heart started pumping faster due to the release of adrenaline. Her slow steady walk soon turned into an unsteady jog as she kicked off her heels, feeling the wet gravel against her toes. "Jane," she called out frantically as the driveway turned and the cabin could be seen up ahead.

Several heads swivelled in her direction at the sound of cries and then back to the front door of the cabin when two figures emerged. One hobbling, having been struck in the calf by a fragment from the grenade, and the other holding up his weight. Once Agent Mancini had gingerly sat down on the porch the figure holding him up spoke briefly with him before turning her head to the driveway.

Upon seeing the doctor moving at rapid pace she moved to meet her, allowing her long legs to carry her quickly to Maura, while the rain and wind lashed at her face. She scooped the medical examiner up into her arms, "Maura," she didn't have any other words.

"Oh God Jane, I was so scared." Maura wrapped her arms tightly around Jane's neck and nuzzled against her chest.

Jane placed several soft kisses into the head of honey blonde hair and proceeded to carry her beloved bridal style back towards the SUVs. "Its okay, I'm okay. I've got you."

Maura clung tightly and sobbed profusely as all the pent up emotion from the previous eight hours burst forth angrily. She was so relieved to be able to feel Jane's strong arms around her and to be able to smell the natural scent that was Jane. "It's over right? Tell me it's over." She murmured her request for reassurance as Jane tenderly placed her down in the backseat of the lead SUV.

Jane nodded softly, "Yeah, it's over."

Maura allowed the reassurance to seep in before her emotionally clouded mind cleared enough to think practically. "What happened? Is everyone okay? Agent Blake?"

Jane had to choke back the emotion that threatened to pour out, her eyes looking towards the blackened horizon before slowly returning to the concerned gaze of Maura. It was why she had brought Maura straight back to the SUV, to allow them some privacy, "He uh, he had a grenade. She jumped on it Maur… She saved my life."

"Oh," she didn't need to have it spelled out, she understood precisely the damage caused from close proximity to grenades. She shuddered and turned away from Jane, blinking away a fresh set of tears that threatened to fall. All she could think about was Geneva's mother and the fact she might not ever understand that her daughter died a hero. It broke Maura's heart.

* * *

 **A/N: I was reaaaaaaally tempted to cliff hanger this before the final scene... but decided I couldn't do that to everyone. As usual I thank you for your reads, reviews, faves and follows. I'm not sure how many chapters to go... I sorta have a few key scenes that I want to include, and maybe then an epilogue of sorts. We shall see.**


	31. Chapter 31

_Two weeks later_

" _Hey, slow it down. Whataya want from me? Whataya want from me? Yeah I'm afraid. Whataya want from me? Whataya want from me?_ "

The sound of Pink's song _Whataya Want from Me_ filled the air around Jane; it most certainly wasn't the common music that would be selected by the patrons of the Dirty Robber, but it spoke directly to the Italian detective's soul. She allowed the lyrics to slip into her mind and take a hold of her heart while it inspired thoughts of Maura and their strained relationship. She hadn't left Maura's side for the first twenty four hours after her rescue from Ryan, but after that she had distanced herself unconsciously. She needed time.

" _Just don't give up, I'm workin' it out. Please don't give in, I won't let you down. He messed me up, need a second to breathe. Just keep comin' around, hey whataya want from me?_ "

Her memories had returned with a vengeance, threatening to overwhelm her despite the commitment to therapy she had made. There had just been so much death and too many close calls in her life that she couldn't help but deeply contemplate what that meant for those she loved. She was the hero cop of Boston; gallantly shot through herself to save the life of her brother with absolutely no regard to what that action would do to those who loved her. She tossed back the shot of Johnny Red and tapped the bar for a refill, her fingers tapped absently on the glass until it was replaced with a fresh one.

"Ya look like shit, Rizzoli." Agent Victor Mancini observed, sliding onto a stool next to the detective. He signalled to the bartender that he would have what Jane was having.

Jane made a show of looking around the bar before returning her eyes to the FBI Agent and saying, "Geez, they must let anyone in here these days."

The two Italian blooded Americans had only seen each other twice since the rescue. She had visited him once in hospital and then several days prior at Agent Blake's memorial service. He knew that he had once taken an almost instant disliking to the detective and had even considered her a suspect at one point, but the fact was he respected her strength and they were now bonded together for the rest of their lives. They had both lost their partners to Ryan Leiland and he was only sorry that he had not been able to attend the funeral service for Detective Cooper.

Snapping out of his reverie he offered a weak smirk and retorted, "Clearly, they let you in didn't they?"

Jane rolled her eyes and tossed back her second shot in as many minutes. "True that." She quickly ordered two beers, deciding it was time to slow down, before eyeing Mancini carefully. She slid one of the beers in front of the agent. "So what brings you here?"

He threw back his shot and kept his eyes forward knowing that Rizzoli was similar to him. It was easier to have the difficult conversations without the eye contact. "Just wanted to see how you're doin'."

She rubbed at the condensation on the beer bottle before lazily scratching at the label with her finger nails. "I'm fine," she responded gruffly.

"That why you're skippin' out on family dinner to drink alone?" If he had of been looking in her direction he would have seen her eyes widen in astonishment.

Deciding to completely ignore her curiosity over who on earth he had been speaking with to learn that piece of information she instead said, "I just needed to be alone, which you know, you bein' here…. It's kinda ruinin' that."

He shrugged, allowed her words to disappear into the low din of the bar patrons around them and sucked down on his beer, which Rizzoli wouldn't have bought for him if she hadn't really wanted him to stay. He knew that she was battling her own demons and that she had been withdrawing from those around her. He knew because his partner had made a promise to Maura and quite frankly he didn't want her death to be wasted, which it would be if Rizzoli kept drifting on the wind paying little attention to what was happening around her.

That thought in mind there was one matter of business he needed to clear up. "You didn't make her jump on it, Rizzoli. It was her choice, so quit blamin' yaself."

Jane mulled over his words for a little while, acknowledging internally that he had a valid point. Blake was an exceptional agent and she knew exactly what she was doing, she could have saved herself by diving back out the open door and maybe even dragged her partner with her, but she had made the heroic decision. Still there was one thing that bugged her a little, mostly because of her belief that you always had your partner's back. "Why didn't you pull her out the door Victor? Why the hell didn't you save your partner?"

Mancini sighed and turned his head to meet the steady gaze of the detective. "Because she made a promise to Doctor Isles and knowing what I know about her, I knew that there was only one move I could make and that was to cover your ass. She knew what she was doing, Jane." He had to quickly return his gaze front on while he blinked away a couple of tears that he felt building up. He missed Blake, she had been the best partner he'd ever had and had understood him in ways his own wife didn't.

"Well it was stupid," she retorted lamely.

Mancini laughed and tipped an imaginary hat to the detective. It was the first time he had laughed since his partner's passing. "That it was Rizzoli, that it was."

She brought the beer to her lips and revelled in the feel of the cool amber liquid as it slid down her throat. She glanced sideways at Mancini and asked, "How're you holding up?"

He contemplated deflecting with a comment about his flesh wounds from the small amount of fragments from the grenade that had imbedded in his leg but decided against it. He couldn't really expect her to keep channels of communication open if he shirked his own feelings on the subject. "I'm absolutely gutted, but I take solace in knowing it was the way she would've wanted to go out."

Jane quirked an eyebrow and stared at him like he had two heads. She knew he meant in a heroic manner, but she still felt a shudder shoot through her spine at the thought of doing that by jumping on a grenade. She cocked her head in fake thought before shaking her head in the negative and saying, "Nah, still stupid."

"As if you wouldn't have jumped on that 'nade if Maura had been in the room with you." He offered as a manner of explanation.

"That's different," she said defensively.

"Why 'cause you love her?"

"Well yeah." She shrugged and went back to picking at the specks of paper still stuck to the bottle by the glue.

"Hmm," he mused, "If you're gonna die; die for something that you love."

Jane swung around on her stool and stared slack jawed at the hard nosed FBI agent. "Seriously, did you just quote Sameen freakin Shaw at me?"

Mancini turned so that he too was facing the detective front on and held up his hands in mock defence. "What? I do watch television you know."

Jane shook her head and chuckled quietly, feeling the ache in her chest ease off just a little bit at the sensation. "You never cease to amaze me, Victor."

He shrugged again, finished his beer and slammed it down a little loudly by accident. He winced at the glare the bartender gave him before returning his attention back to Jane. "Besides, I had to lighten the mood for a moment before I dive in the deep end."

She sighed and turned back to face the bar. She had a deep sense of foreboding about the next part of the conversation. "Alright, hit me with it."

"Don't waste my partner's sacrifice Rizzoli." He eyed her determinedly, "You're pissing away your life doin' God knows what when you've got an amazing woman waiting for you. Quit breakin' her damned heart."

"Hey, I'm dealin' with some serious shit here. Just in case you don't remember, I watched them bury my partner last week." She went on the defensive, knowing that while his heart was in the right place that he didn't really understand what she was dealing with. She was so conflicted and while she had tried hard to be around for Maura, she knew that she had been distant when she did show up. She hadn't intended it to happen, but they were both grieving and they grieved in fundamentally different ways.

"Look," Jane said, noticing the frown on his face, "She's grieving Blake, feels responsible. I've tried bein' there for her, but I deal with things differently. Coop's dead because of me and God damnit I just have to brood over that for a while."

"So tell her that," he said simply.

"She knows how I work. She's the only one who has ever understood me. She knows I love her," Jane said adamantly.

He cocked his head thoughtfully, "Are you sure she knows that Jane? Or have you forgotten about your amnesia?" He managed to contain the desire to smirk at the inadvertent pun.

She stared at him dumbly for a few moments, "What's that got to do with anything? I reckon I must be close to damn near recovered from that, given the shit bouncing around in my head these days."

He sighed in a loud and deliberate manner. "Have you by any chance told her that you love her, since you've gotten all of your memories back?"

"Sure I have," she stated confidently, her confidence wavering slightly when she searched his eyes. This prompted her to search through her memory and then the realisation struck her, "Well fuck… I honestly thought I had. Shit." She rubbed a hand through her dark curls, anxiety clearly written across her face. She almost fell as she jumped up from her stool, tossing a couple of twenties onto the bar to pay for the drinks. "I gotta get to family dinner."

Jane was halfway to the exit when she stopped, turned and looked back at Mancini, who was still sitting at the bar. "Well are you coming or what?"

Mancini suspected this wasn't the sort of invite thrown about lightly and accepted the honour graciously. He slid off the stool and hurried over, a slight limp from the tenderness in his calf still present. "Well, as long as your family won't mind."

Jane waved him off with a laugh, "Are you kidding? Ma will love you… just make sure she sees the ring on your finger so she doesn't start trying to set you up with Carla Talucci's daughter, niece, cousin… whatever."

He chuckled and shook his head knowingly. Being from a big Italian family himself he knew exactly what the whole matchmaking thing was like; he'd had to deal with his mother, aunt and three eldest sisters trying to set him up until he finally started dating his wife Maria. "Got it. Lead the way, Rizzoli."

* * *

"Well look who finally decided to show up." Angela Rizzoli remarked dryly when she looked up from the kitchen island at the sound of the front door opening.

Jane rolled her eyes, "Geez Ma cut me some slack would ya?"

"And who's this?" Angela asked, moving around the island to get a closer look at the handsome man that had accompanied her daughter.

"This is Victor, Ma. He's one of the feds we were working with and I don't think he's had a home cooked Italian meal since he's been in the city so I invited him along." She shot him a quick look that indicated he shouldn't protest her proclamation. He simply smirked in return before being dragged into a Rizzoli hug.

Jane chuckled in amusement and sidestepped the sideshow to move over towards the dining table where her brothers and Maura were already seated. She slipped into the seat next to Maura and smiled timidly; a little unsure of the reception she would receive. "Hey," she offered softly.

"I'm glad you made it," Maura responded brightly. The Medical Examiner had been increasingly worried about their relationship, but knew deep down that Jane just needed time to process. Still it was wonderful to have her with them for dinner and in an apparently reasonable mood too.

Jane's smile morphed into a full blown grin and she knocked shoulders with her girlfriend, "Well I had a little help with that… someone reminded me the importance of family." She glanced behind her where her mother had finally finished fussing over Mancini before returning her gaze to Maura. She placed her right hand under the table and squeezed Maura's knee, feeling a sense of warmth bloom in her chest when the doctor covered her hand with her own. It was a simple comfort.

Across the table Tommy and Frankie were whispering to themselves, casting knowing looks and teasing smirks in the direction of the two women. Before Tommy finally straightened up, looked at his sister and waggled his eyebrows, "Got something to tell us Janie?"

Jane's eyes flicked from brother to brother before she turned her head to notice Mancini take up position at the end of the table. Returning her attention to her youngest brother she frowned, "I'm not sure what you mean." Although from the look on Frankie's face she could tell that Tommy had either seen or at least been told about the sex tape. She was a little mortified at the thought that if Tommy knew perhaps her mother did too. She sighed heavily.

Angela had disappeared to retrieve dishes filled with assorted Italian staples to place in the centre of the table. She heard Tommy's question and her daughter's answer and placed hands on her hips and quirked an eyebrow at Jane. "Really Janie, all of Boston knows you two are doin' it."

Frankie and Tommy burst into hysterics, while Mancini had to contain his smirk. Maura had the decency to cover her smile, never being one to be ashamed of her sexuality, but aware that the thought of her mother knowing anything about her sex life was mortifying for the detective.

Jane gawked at her mother for a moment before burying her face in both hands and shaking her head. "This is not happening," she mumbled through her hands.

Maura brought a hand to Jane's back and rubbed soothing circles. "It could be worse…"

Jane pulled her hands away from her face and shot her girlfriend the patented Rizzoli _Really_ look. Her face quickly morphed into one of fear when she recognised a glimmer of mirth in Maura's eyes. "No, no… don't you dare start reeling off a list of things that are worse, just ugh… no."

Maura grinned, because Jane had said _things_ plural, she only needed one thought to gross out her detective even more. With a nonchalant shrug and a smirk she at least had the decency to lean into Jane and whisper, "Well imagine if it had of been your parents with a sex tape released."

Jane visibly shuddered before pushing back on her chair and retreating over to the fridge. She felt the need for a beer. She couldn't shake the thought of her parents getting down and dirty and she was so going to get Maura back for that visual, when she least expected. Returning to the table she pointed at Maura, "Not another word."

Frankie looked curiously over at Maura, "What did you say to Janie?"

"Trust me little brother, you're better off not knowing." She noted all the food dishes were laid out and her mother now sat at the head of the table. "Alright Tommy, since you started this whole line of embarrassment you can be responsible for saying grace."

"Fine," Tommy said smirking happily enough, "Thanks Lord for the food we're about to eat. Two, four, six, eight, dig in, don't wait!"

Mancini chuckled and shot Jane a sympathetic look. All in all he appreciated the chance to better know the detective and the opportunity to enjoy in some genuine family warmth. He could see already that there was great affection shared by the Rizzolis and that Maura was already clearly one of them before any change in her relationship with the detective. It helped him reconcile the small part of him that was bitter with his partner for abandoning him the way she had. She had clearly seen enough out of Jane and Maura to know that they were worth saving.

"Here," Jane handed him a beer, "Should've offered you one sooner."

He smiled, "Thanks Rizzoli."

"No worries." She returned to her seat and the back and forth banter with her family.

After they had finished the main course Mancini cleared his throat until all eyes were on him, which left him feeling like a deer in headlights for a moment before he remembered why he had wanted their attention. "I just wanted to say thank you for welcoming here tonight. Great food Mrs Rizzoli, almost as good as my Ma makes," he shot a wink at the matriarch before continuing. "Anyway, I propose a toast to family, both those who are here with us and those who are sorely missed." His eyes locked with Jane's for a moment, before the table raised their respective drinks.

With a melancholic smile Jane raised her glass a second time and said, "To heroes and friends." She wrapped her right arm around Maura who leaned into her side at that toast.

"Here, here." Frankie said solemnly, "To Cooper and Blake, you'll be missed greatly." He said what he knew his sister and Mancini wanted to say but couldn't bring themselves to say. The loss of their partners weighed heavily on them and he figured that it would continue to do so for a long time to come.

* * *

"Oh thank God they're gone," Jane exclaimed dramatically, sinking back against the side door her mother had just departed through to retire to the guesthouse. "I thought they would never leave!"

"They were just happy to see you." Maura stated matter-of-factly after putting the last of the leftovers in the fridge.

"I know," Jane said with an exasperated sigh and an exaggerated movement away from the door to a position in front of the medical examiner. "But I really just needed some time alone with you."

Maura's brow furrowed in confusion, "Aren't you staying?"

"What? No, wait, yes… of course I'm staying, I just meant that I would have been so happy if it had just been us tonight. No meddling brothers or nosey mother…"

"You brought Agent Mancini along."

"Well yeah, cause I knew I wasn't gonna get that alone time any time soon." Jane shrugged and took hold of Maura's hands and gently tugged her in the direction of the couch. "Come sit with me."

Maura acquiesced recognising a need in the detective to talk and followed her girlfriend to the couch where they sat next to one another. Maura sat cross legged looking over at her girlfriend while Jane curled one leg underneath her body and allowed the other to hang off the side of the couch.

Jane took hold of Maura's hands, allowing their hands to sit in the space between them. Her thumbs drew lazy circles on the flesh beneath them. "We haven't really talked much since… in the last couple of weeks." It was difficult to voice the fact of her abduction and subsequent rescue. "I guess I just wanted to take the time to talk about stuff ya know? I know it can't have been easy for you with everything that has been goin' on with me on top of your own grief."

Years of growing up with Constance Isles and the social training drilled into her because of that was the only reason Maura could keep the surprise from her face. She knew that Jane had been a little more open while her memory was still in tatters, but she had slowly been returning to her emotionally withdrawn self and the fact she hadn't had to drag a serious conversation out of the detective was astounding. She smiled warmly, "No it has not been easy Jane, but I do understand your need to withdraw."

"I remember telling you that I was suffocating under the weight of loving you and the fear that brought me. Now I'm just drowning, not in fear, well, I guess I still have some fears, but I think I remember all the important stuff now…"

Maura tilted her head thoughtfully, "Which means the scary difficult stuff?"

The detective nodded her head once and sighed, "Yeah and so I got all these memories and the guilt from…. Well the guilt from everything that's happened recently and honestly, I don't think there's enough therapy I can do any given week to make processing this crap easier." She leaned forward a little, bringing Maura's hands to her lips, tenderly kissing each knuckle before lifting her vision to take in the loving eyes staring back at her. "I've fallen back on my old ways of withdrawing and I know you say it's okay, but it really isn't Maura. You deserve better."

"You have experienced serious trauma and have been forced to relive previous trauma in the past month. It is understandable that you will have had difficulty in coping, but I truly hope you know Jane, that I am always here for you. I will never force you to talk about anything until you are ready and as far as what I deserve, only I can be the judge of that." She offered a reassuring smile, "I'm just thankful that you're still here with me."

"You do know there's nowhere else I'd rather be right?" She sighed when a moment of doubt flickered in her girlfriend's eyes before disappearing, not that she really blamed Maura for feeling a little unsure. "I've got all my important memories back Maur..." Jane trailed off for a moment contemplating her next words, breaking out into a warm smile when she figured out what she needed to say. "Memories like how my stomach flutters like crazy when you smile at me. Like how safe I've felt in your arms for like, well, ever. Stuff like how when you go all Google I tease you relentlessly but secretly love it…"

Maura chuckled, "That's not really secret Jane, I've known for a long time how much you enjoy my little _Google_ speeches."

"Yeah well, now I remember!" She contemplated a moment of childishness and poking her tongue out but thought better of it – that darn maturity kicking in. "Besides, I remember the really important stuff too, like how my first instinct is always to ensure you're safe and that I have to try really hard not to knock heads together when people disrespect you because I know you'd rather I handle things more maturely."

Maura had to delicately wipe away several very happy tears caused by the rather sappy proclamations being made by her girlfriend. "It would not look good if you went around _knocking heads together_ Jane."

Jane grinned broadly, "But it would sure feel good." She looked down at the soft hand she still held in her own and sucked in a deep breath before looking back up. "I love you Maura and I am sorry that my head got all messed up and made me so confused and that you ever had to doubt that. I love you so damn much it hurts."

She smiled her mega watt smile that served to melt the heart of anybody who had the chance to see it and covered her heart with her hand because of the sentiment. "Oh Jane," she breathed, "I love you too."

"I know," she said as she reached out and grabbed Maura, pulling her against her body and jostling them around until they lie flat on the couch with Jane wrapping herself around her girlfriend tightly. "Because I am simply irresistible," she whispered with a chuckle into Maura's ear.

Maura burrowed into the warmth of her girlfriend feeling incredibly safe and loved in the strong arms that wrapped around her middle. "You're incorrigible."

"That too," the detective agreed. "You got anything you need to talk about?"

"Not right now, I have everything I need right here."

"Me too," Jane agreed, nuzzling against Maura's neck. "Hey Maura?" she mumbled against the skin beneath her mouth, causing a delicate tickling sensation for the smaller woman.

"Yes, Jane?"

"We should get your turtle back or maybe a dog. Yeah I want a big dog."

"Tortoise," Maura corrected automatically before allowing a small giggle to escape her lips because she had fallen for it again. Considering the second part of the statement she asked, "A big dog like a Great Dane or a Saint Bernard?"

"I said I wanted a dog Maura, not a horse!" Jane exclaimed playfully, chuckling against her girlfriend's neck.

Maura pouted playfully, not that Jane could see. Her mirth was apparent in her voice though when she attempted to quite seriously object, "Well you did say a big dog Jane and both of those breeds are…" she was cut off by a hand covering her mouth.

"Don't ever change Maur, don't ever change… and uh yeah just accept that for what I intend to mean, don't go all literal cause I know change is occurring every damn day!"

Maura pulled Jane's hand away from her mouth and then wiggled around so that she could face the woman she loved. She brought a hand up to cup the detective's cheek and smiled warmly, "Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

* * *

 **A/N: After much thinking I decided that I would write a longer final chapter and wrap it up here. So that's all she wrote folks, at least on this story. I thank every single one of you for coming on this journey with me, the final official word count is 70,951 words - everything else is just my A/N chattering. Second longest story I have written, only 6,000 shy of my personal record... but definitely my longest for this fandom.**

 **Arkhamknight83, if you're still reading I have to ask... are you still impressed with what my mind can come up with on the fly? lol**

 **Once again thank you to you all, especially those I bounced ideas off from time to time. I intend to spend a couple of days played Madden NFL before I focus back onto my other stories (unless the muse strikes of course). Finally... help me reach 400 reviews folks... it would mean to much to me :D**


End file.
